Up for Air
by BarbaraChilde
Summary: Because Dan and Blair deserve a desert island fic
1. Chapter 1

**This is because I'm kind of stuck on The OATPC right now, and because all fictional pairings deserve a 'stranded on a deserted island' fic, whether I ship them or not. It's my personal fiction law, so I'm obliged to write this. I don't know of any others featuring Dan and Blair but if you do, can you tell me? I really like desert island stories. I've had a thing for them ever since I read The Coral Island as a kid.**

**I know how implausible this story is. I doubt there's any island in the Caribbean that you could become stranded for too long on, (are there any Caribbean readers out there? I'm just an isolated Aussie chick who doesn't know better and Wikipedia will only tell me so much), but I hope you can suspend your disbelief for the promise of romance.**

* * *

Nate's 25th was to be spent cruising with his nearest and dearest, on his birthday present to himself, a personally customised 160 foot yacht. He'd been acquainting himself with its glories for a few weeks, sailing from island to island in the warm waters of the Caribbean, before conveying all his guests to meet him at the island of Mustique. Some flew from Paris and others from LA. Dan himself came from London, feeling apprehensive about seeing his old friends together. It was odd that no one was coming from the city of their youth, New York, but Nate was the only one of them who could really call himself a full time resident anymore. The rest of his school friends were far too transient to be able to call any city home.

Dan had been late in embarking the vessel, feeling disoriented after the long series of flights and airport lounges he had endured. He found himself standing awkwardly on the deck, clutching a warming cocktail in his hand, observing the rabble of guests. Serena was already there with her new husband, sliding her hand over his knee as she squinted in the sun, laughing inanely at his jokes, her pregnancy showing as plain as the bow of the yacht. Seeing her didn't bother Dan as much as he had prepared himself for. Her sunshine smile when they had greeted had given him a flash of pleasure, untinged by regret.

They had tried that one last time and for a while they had worked hard to make it perfect, thinking they'd finally arrived at the same place at the same time. But the problems and petty jealousies they had thought they have overcome bubbled back to the surface, and soon they both gave up trying to understand each other. The naively prophetic words that they had spoken came to fruition. They had their one last chance, gave it everything they had, and neither wanted to go back anymore.

Blair sat by the bar, holding court, reeking of business. Her hair was shorter, he didn't miss her long locks, the shorter length lending piquancy to her delicate features. The expression she wore was all too familiar and he hadn't missed that either, the smug brightness that always seemed more forced the more you came to know her. They had met each other earlier like distant acquaintances, perfunctory and disinterested, just like the game of old. Chuck was conspicuous in his absence, though Dan held no doubt he lurked somewhere in her shadows. The absence of the ring on her finger made him wonder. He had followed Chuck and Blair's relationship, in tabloid gossip and the business pages of the paper, like a gross habit he couldn't cure himself of, and though he had never heard that they had got married, it surprised him that she wasn't flaunting that enormous rock on her ring finger.

Nate was skippering the yacht but he spent little time at the helm, leaving the crew to manage the boat while he entertained his guests. He made his way through the party of guests, ever the congenial host, but his eyes flashed a welcome to Dan, raising his drink in silent camaraderie. They at least had never ceased to be friends, in fact they had only become closer in the years since Dan had left New York. Nate had become his first port of call in his home city, before even Rufus or Georgina.

The welcoming cocktails had been followed by lunch on the deck as the island of Mustique disappeared over the horizon, and from there the guests had dispersed. Some lounging on the deck and others disappearing below to escape the tropical heat. Dan was tempted to do the same, the unfamiliar setting had already set off an avalanche of words in his mind and he was keen to put them to page before he lost the thread. Nate's appearance at his elbow made him cast the thought aside. His friend was beaming, his pleasure in the cruise infectiously radiating from him. He clapped his hand on Dan's shoulder. "Let's join Serena and Blair in the tub. We're only missing Chuck to make it a real reunion, I don't think the old gang has been all together since you left New York."

Dan looked over to the hot tub. Serena was lowering herself into the water, a look of bliss crossing her face, while Blair stood beside her, clearly making sure her pregnant friend was comfortable before taking a seat herself. She was slimmer than he had seen her, the once rounded curve of her hip standing out in a sharp angle, jutting from her black swimsuit. He looked back to Nate. "You know, I think I can actually count the number of times 'the gang', as you so call it, hung out willingly, on one hand."

Nate quirked his lips. "That depends on your recollection, Dan."

The smile that spread across Dan's face at Nate's words wouldn't be repressed. His friend's optimism had always been indefatigable. "Fine, I'll play it your way, but if a drink ends up in your tub, don't say I didn't warn you."

"Aren't we all grown ups now? Come on, play nice."

Dan laughed. "I always play nice. I just can't guarantee that others are capable of doing the same."

Nate didn't answer, merely raising both his brows in patent disbelief before taking both their drinks and proceeding up the deck. Dan followed behind him, shucking off his shirt so he stood only in his swimming trunks. "So where's Chuck anyway?"

"Beats me, he said something urgent came up that couldn't wait." Nate stepped into the tub. "Blair, what's the deal? I can't believe that Chuck couldn't come to my birthday. Surely he could spare a few days?"

Blair barely looked at Dan as he slid into the bubbling water beside Nate, her voice low as she replied. "He's been in Dubai for the past few weeks, some make or break hotel deal that wouldn't wait."

Her fingers clutched at the pendant on her necklace. Dan realised with a start that it still held the diamond ring that Dorota had shown him all those years before. Their eyes met as she glanced up and the flash of vulnerability there gave him a prick of concern. The connection was short lived though. When she realised he was looking at her bare finger, she narrowed her eyes, her hand closing around the ring before she stood up and stepped out of the water. "Well, this just got a whole lot less exclusive."

Serena slapped Nate on the arm when Blair was out of ear shot. "Nice one, idiot. You had to bring up Chuck just when I get her to forget about him for all of five minutes."

Nate gave a snort of outrage. "How was I meant to know. Those guys are always breaking or making up. Besides, it was Dan's fault, he bought him up."

"Don't bring me into this, Archibald." Dan leaned his head back against a cushion, his fatigue combined with the strength of the cocktails leaving him disinclined to engage in further conversation. It saddened him that Blair hadn't found the happiness she had so desperately searched for. That she still tied all her self worth to Chuck and, in return, Chuck didn't seem able to appreciate what should be the best thing in his life.

Dan lazed in the tub for most of the afternoon, guests coming and going as he chatted to Nate, feeling more mellow than he had for weeks. He was about to get out, realising his fingers had turned to prunes, when the mate approached them. "Captain Archibald, can I speak with you?"

It gave Dan a jolt to hear the crewman address Nate as captain and he smiled, thinking of the ample opportunities it would give him to tease his friend that he was turning into his father.

Nate looked annoyed by the interruption. "What now, Smith? Surely you can handle anything? And call me Nate, don't make me say it again."

"Yes, Captain...Nate, I think you need to see this. Can you come to the helm?"

Nate rolled his eyes "Ok...ok. Dan, watch my drink. I'll be back in a minute." He was only gone a moment, but his face had become serious by the time he returned. "I don't know how it is, it wasn't forecast. But there's a storm warning and we're heading to the nearest port."

Dan looked over the horizon. The sun was hanging low in the west, a glorious golden orb. But as he turned his eyes eastward he could see how the drifts of clouds had begun to accumulate, massing on the horizon in the darkening sky.

Serena's husband rose for where he sat beside her, giving his glass to a steward. "Surely it won't be that bad?"

Nate shook his head. "I don't think it will be anything much, it's too early in the year for a hurricane, but we're obliged to go back to port. It should blow over by tomorrow and we can head back out."

The weather began to turn quickly once they were watching for it and the calm blue ocean became rough and dark, rocking the boat so it was hard to keep balance without holding to the railing.

Being below deck was even more uncomfortable. Dan tried to read on his bed but the movement began to make his stomach roil so he abandoned his book altogether and went to join the rest of the party. Most of the were guests gathered together in the main stateroom, braced against the rolling of the yacht, but as Dan looked around the group he realised that Blair was not amongst them. "Serena, where's Blair?"

She shook her head at him, looking pale and concerned, and more than a little nauseous. I don't know, I haven't seen her since she left the deck."

"She's probably in her room, I'll go check on her." Dan wasn't sure which room was hers but there were only eight cabins so he checked each one, including his own, as he lurched down the short corridor. His knocking found no answer and, although he couldn't think she would be reckless enough to go outside in such wild conditions and was likely lying on her bed ignoring him, he felt compelled to check the deck.

It appeared empty but when he took a few steps out to look further he saw her standing alone toward the stern of the vessel. Gripping the rail as the spray of the waves and the rain dampened her hair so it sat in sodden ripples over her cheeks, her shirt tight against her body in the gusty wind. Dan made his way cautiously, gently taking her wrist to gain her attention. "Blair, what are you doing out here? There's a storm warning. Come below now."

She kept her face to the ocean. "And why are you the one here, Humphrey?"

Dan ignored her question, trying to pry her hand from the railing to lead her below deck. "Blair, this is serious, look at those waves. Let's go."

She turned to him and he could see how the water masked the tears that welled in her eyes. "Do you really want to know why Chuck didn't come?"

Dan didn't know and he really didn't care to hear it, but he gripped the rail beside her and tried to resist the temptation to pick her up bodily and carry her inside. He knew the action would likely sweep them both overboard. "I don't think this is the time, Blair. Come on, you can tell me about it below deck. Please."

"I wanted to tell you that you were right. I know you'll take pleasure in that fact." He shook his head but she continued before he could respond. "There is never going to be time that Chuck will prioritise me over his precious Bass Industries. Bart is dead, for real, he's not coming back, and still he has to keep on trying to prove himself again and again." She looked out over the waves again, knuckles gripped white. "I gave him an ultimatum. If he didn't pick a date, I would leave." Her voice wavered so Dan had to lean his head toward her to pick up her words. "He couldn't or wouldn't, and I was so angry I went to Paris, thinking that he would follow me, but next I hear he's back in Dubai. And I won't call him, I won't. Why am I telling you this?" She reached to her chest and withdrew the chain that hung there. "This has lain here for four years." He voice cracked. "Four years, Dan." She gave the necklace a sharp tug. "I'm beginning to think it's cursed." It lay in her hand, the broken chain dangling limply and she regarded it briefly before drawing her hand back and tossing it overboard. The ring dropped and was gone, swallowed by the violent water. She gave a bitter laugh. "There, I'd like to see it try and come back from that."

The swell was growing ever larger, the boat teetering on the crest of each wave before descending down the trough so it would block out half the sky. The yacht, once seeming so grand and large, pitching about like a leaf in the wind. Dan held his arm out to her. "Will you come in now, please? I won't let you follow that ring, you know."

She nodded at him, the combination of the wind and waves too loud for him to make out the words on her lips, and let go of the railing to take his offered hand. The touch was only fleeting, for at the same moment the boat bucked violently downward and his grip on her fingers slid away. Dan could see the terror spark in her eyes as the wave washed over the deck, swamping them so they both staggered. Dan struggled to keep his hold on the rail, but before he could reassert his grip on Blair's arm, she slipped. One moment she was before him, and the next she was just gone, the deck empty of everything but himself.

In a panic he leaned over the rail trying to see where she was, hoping she had taken hold of the deck. "Blair! Someone help me, man overboard! Blair!" He could hardly hear the words even though he could feel his throat rasp at the effort of his shout. He caught sight of her surfacing a few metres away, the current already carrying her body from the yacht. "Blair! Try and swim back!" The life preserver lay in easy reach by the side of the railing and Dan grabbed at it, looking desperately again for Blair's dark head. He found her even further away, the shock and fear twisting her features as she struggled in the strong current. It swept her unrelentingly away from the boat; Dan knew he had little chance of throwing the life buoy to her.

Swinging the ring over his arm, Dan stepped unthinkingly onto the rail and plunged into the water. It enveloped his head but the life preserver drew him quickly to the surface and he tried to direct himself toward where he had seen Blair. Shouting her name in a desperate hope that she might be able to make her way toward him. He could see little over the water that rushed unrelentingly over him.

The current swept him over the crest of a wave and it was with relief that he saw her below him, still fighting to stay afloat. Her head snapped up and as their eyes met, his arms swung into desperate action, floundering towards her. She was going under again when he managed to find a grip on her wrist, her nails scoring a cruel path over his skin as he thrust his hands under her arms. Pulling her to his chest so the preserver could support the both of them.

"I've got you, Blair, I've got you." Dan couldn't hear himself speak but her struggles slowed at his words. "I've got you." He stopped talking when she relaxed further against him, though her grip in no way lessened. It was all he could do to try and time his breaths with each passing wave, so he didn't take another lungful of sea water or lose his grip on her in the violent swell.

There was no sign of the yacht. At the crest of every wave, his hopes of rescue faded a little more. No one had seen them go over, it was possible that no one had even guessed they were missing yet. He closed his eyes to try to control his panic as the horrifying reality of their situation dawned on him.

Dan didn't know how far they had drifted but the rain had at least let up and the wind had dropped. A weary hopelessness had replaced his fear. His arms were growing numb from the effort of supporting Blair; she had fallen asleep, or into a coma, he couldn't tell, though he could feel the constant movement of her chest beneath his arms, so he knew she still breathed.

Once the waves began to calm, Dan slowly pried her arms from where they still clung to his neck and manoeuvred her inside the life preserver, resting her limp arms over the edges of the ring. The change of posture was pure relief, his shoulder muscles cramping painfully from the long pose. He still kept his arms firmly around her but he could cradle her slight frame above his to support her. The water wasn't cold, but the heat of her back against his chest was comforting, as was the steady beat of her heart against his, lulling him into a weary stupor.

Water washing violently over his head woke him from his half-doze, and Dan braced himself in shock. But as he moved his hands to Blair's head, to keep her mouth clear of the wash, he felt something graze painfully against his leg. The wave propelled them forward grating his back over a rough surface, feeling his shirt catch and tear. Another wave washed over them and he kicked his legs to follow it, letting it lift them clear of the reef. Dan tried to shake the thickness from his sodden brain. It was still too dark to get any sense of what lay around them, though he could see the stars begin to dim above him in the brightening sky above. As they rode the next wave he twisted his head to see behind him to a golden outline of palm trees against the swiftly approaching dawn in the east.

He shook Blair to try and wake her. "Blair, land. Blair! Wake up. Land." His voice was so hoarse he could barely make a sound so he reserved his energy for kicking toward the shore, trying to paddle with his arms to propel them faster, all concern for the danger of the reef gone.

The feeling of the sand below his feet was the most poignant moment of his life thus far. Dan pushed the life preserver over their heads and turned to face the shore. It was closer than he had thought. He staggered back, losing his footing in the surf, holding Blair before him as his head plunged below the water once more. The white wash rolled them into the shallows. It was all Dan could do to drag Blair's body from the water to the sand above the tide mark and check her breathing once more, too delirious to do anything but collapse in an exhausted heap beside her.


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm so delighted with the response to this story, you guys are awesome! It took me longer to post this than I had hoped. I have a lot written but it's taking me a while to knit together. I'm away for work this week so I'm not sure how much writing I'll get in but I'm really trying to update this once a week (or so). Let's hope the muse is with me.**

**And I forgot to say, though you know it already, that I didn't invent these characters.**

* * *

Blair felt her face sting in the fierce sunshine. She should go below deck and apply more sunscreen, but she was just so tired and the warmth seeping through her so delightful, she could surely lay there for a little longer. Sleep almost reclaimed her before the memory of the previous night arrived dazedly in her mind. She lifted her head in shock, the heaviness in her limbs and her sore throat the only thing that stopped her thinking she was dead and this was some kind of strange afterlife.

Dan lay beside her, pressed into the sand so she couldn't see his face. Still and quiet. Fear squeezed her chest as she reached for his shoulder, only abating a little when she realised his skin was warm to touch. She tried to turn him over, to see if he still breathed but he collapsed forward again as her strength gave way. "Dan?" The word come out as a squeak and she cleared her throat before trying again, anxiously tugging at his arm. "Dan, wake up! Please... wake up."

The rush of relief she felt when he lifted his head was palpable. He coughed painfully before slowly rolling over, looking up at her with gritty eyes. "Blair, you're ok?" His voice was as hoarse as her own.

"Where the hell are we?"

Dan sat up, blinking in the strong sunlight at the deserted beach they sat upon. "Your guess is as good as mine. On dry land, which is a good start."

They were in a small bay ringed by reef. Blair turned and peered behind her, hoping to see some sign of civilisation. All that met her eyes was a small hill, the steep slopes masked with green. "Where is everyone?"

Dan looked as bewildered as she felt. "I don't know. Maybe someone lives here." He shook his head, trying, and failing, to loosen the sand from his face. "There could even be a resort or something. And people must know we're missing. I doubt we'll be waiting longer than a few hours for rescue. Nate must have sent out the alert."

Blair gained some comfort from his words but her mind still sought the darker alternatives. "But what if he hasn't? What no one is looking for us and there's no one here?"

Salt crusted his eyelashes, making his irises almost appear black. "It's the 21st century, Blair, someone will find us. And no matter where we are, I'm still more than happy to be here." He looked up over the bay, his eyes growing distant. "...rather than still out there. That was, without doubt, the most hellish night of my life."

Blair hugged her knees to her chest. "Dan, you didn't need to do that. Risk your own life for mine."

His head dropped down, his gaze focussed on the damp sand beneath him. "I guess."

She bit her lip. It was hard to express gratitude when one's saviour so clearly rued the outcome. They sat silently for a moment, Blair trying to sort through her jumbled thoughts. "What time is it? I lost my watch."

Dan raised his bare wrist. "I wasn't wearing one." He looked to the sky, noting the position of the sun. "I don't know, maybe mid morning? We need to find some shade, this sun is frying me." He groaned as he pulled himself onto his hands and knees. "Jesus, I hurt all over."

Blair slowly stood up, feeling gritty and grazed, and though she could at that moment turn her back on the ocean forever, she staggered toward the water to rinse herself off as best she could. It stung her elbows and knees, but the cool was pure relief against her burning skin. Dan made his way to stand beside her, following her in trying to rid the sand from his clothes, pulling off his shirt to rinse it out and washing the grit from his face. Blair slipped her shirt and linen shift dress over her head to stand in her swimsuit, dropping into the water to get the sand from the black one piece and loosen it from her tangled hair.

Dan silently held his hand out to her. She looked warily at it before allowing him to help her rise from the water and lead her up the shore towards a stand of coconut trees. The shade, after the torment of the sun, was bliss. He sat, legs almost buckling beneath him. "I know we need to look around, but I need to sleep some more before I can even see straight."

Dan spread his wet shirt out and laid down upon it, closing his eyes. "But, Dan, we should see what's here first. Why sleep on the beach when there could be a resort in the next bay?"

He grunted an intelligible reply. "Dan?" Blair nudged him with her toe but he didn't respond, seemingly falling into immediate sleep. She stood helplessly regarding him, unsure what to do, unable to believe that she could possibly find herself in this situation. If only she weren't so tired, surely she could find a better option than laying like a dog in the dirt to sleep. But no solution offered itself and Blair, too exhausted to cry or even voice her distress when there was no one there to hear it, merely laid her own clothes out, curling up in the deep shade beside him.

When she awoke the second time, Blair felt better able to think back on the ordeal she had endured. Not much remained in her memory. Only her horror when she had first slipped from the deck and her certainty that she was going to die when she could no longer see the boat. The water had kept flooding over her head so she could never draw a full breath, her limbs so heavy it became harder and harder to struggle against the waves. Never before had she felt so alone. It was true what they said. Life did truly flash before one's eyes.

She rolled over onto her stomach, burying her face in her elbow. Seeing Dan appear over the crest of the waves had pushed the dark visions back. She had determined not to drown, regretful and alone, and pushed her screaming limbs toward him. It was only at his words in her ear that she could let go of a little of her terror and just hold to him with a desperate grip. And the rest was just blackness, she was grateful for it.

The sun had moved so it showed through the branches above her, light dappling the shade on her face. Dan no longer lay beside her, instead he had draped his shirt over her shoulders and sat himself pensively against the trunk of the palm tree beside her.

He looked over at her movement, the grim set to his features relaxing a little. "You're awake. Do you feel better?"

She searched for something snide to say, feeling vulnerable beneath his gaze. "Better than what? A slightly less drowned rat?"

"It's good to know your tongue wasn't affected." He gave her a half smile before his gaze returned to the open horizon before them. "I guess we need to take stock before we do anything."

"Weren't we going to look around? This might not even be an island, it could be a peninsula or something."

Dan shook his head gravely. "I looked while you were still sleeping. It didn't take more than half an hour to walk around the whole island." He dug into the ground with a stick, turning up the damp sand beneath. "There's no sign of anything."

Blair sat up at his words, the pitch of her voice showing her disbelief. "Impossible. There has to be something."

His eyes searched out hers. "I hope I'm wrong. But all I saw was more coconut trees."

"How far did you look? Further than your navel?"

Dan twisted his lip. "I choose to ignore that. Go see for yourself if you want. I saw some other islands in the distance, but there's no way we could swim that far."

Blair stood up and picked up her dress, shaking the sand from it before slipping it over her head. Her arms still ached but the cramp that had burned behind her shoulder blades had relaxed. She stretched her neck as Dan sat back on his heels and emptied his pockets, laying out his iPhone, a sodden packet of cigarettes and a lighter on a dry palm frond. He took up his phone, pressing futilely at the on button, no welcoming apple icon greeting him. "Damn it. I was hoping it might dry out but it's hopeless."

"Give me that." Blair held her hand out.

He passed the phone to her, watching as she repeated his actions. "I already tried that. It doesn't work, Blair. It was under water for an extended period. Warranty null and void."

She let it drop to the sand, eyeing the ruined cigarettes. "I can't believe you smoke, Humphrey. It's disgusting."

"Yeah, well, don't complain, it's the reason we have a way to make fire for a beacon, unless you feel inclined to rub some sticks together." He flicked the lighter but no answering flame appeared. "If it doesn't dry out, I guess I can try and use the flint." He turned to her, an expectant gleam in his eye. "Now, what do you have?"

"Do you think I use pockets, Humphrey?" Blair fiddled at her wrist, pulling off her bracelet and letting fall by his feet. "I have a Cartier cuff and that is all."

Dan picked it up. "Useful. Maybe I can try and trade it for some water with that seagull over there."

Blair licked her lips, they were dry from the exposure, and her tongue did little to moisten them. She would given up anything for her La Mer lip balm and a bottle of Perrier. "You are not funny, Humphrey. We're alone here and we have nothing, and you think it's time to make jokes. What are we going to do?"

"Be pragmatic, I guess. Shelter, water of some kind, fire and sleep, in that order, if the Boy Scout within me remembers right."

"You were a Boy Scout?"

"Well no, but I did read Robinson Crusoe and Coral Island, and I saw Tom Hanks in Castaway."

"And Blue Lagoon."

Dan nodded in solemn agreement. "Of course, it's a classic. And a young Brooke Shields would make anywhere paradise."

Blair tossed her head. "I think you're wrong. Water should be our top priority."

"I looked, but I didn't see anything. Coconut it is."

The trees above them hung with nuts, all at various stages of maturity. "I'm thirsty."

"You don't say." Dan stood up and walked toward the shoreline, picking up a piece of driftwood that the high tide had left.

"Yes, I said I'm thirsty. This body is used to three litres of water a day."

"Blair, there's no water that I can find. I can't magically make it appear." He scratched his head. "I'll try to climb a coconut tree but after we've got a shelter organised." He turned to her, raising both his brows. "Feel free to do it yourself though."

Blair scoffed. "I doubt you'd find me doing that." His careless assumption of authority raised her gall. "Why do we have to do it your way anyway? Who voted you president?"

"I know you'd prefer to waste the afternoon arguing about it. But you know I'm right."

"I know nothing of the sort. What good is shelter when you're dying of thirst?"

"Blair, I'm too exhausted to get into this with you." She watched him in silence until he rolled his eyes at her. "Ok...ok, you win. I'll try and climb a tree to get some coconuts. You sort out somewhere we can make a shelter. It has to be on the beach, so we can see if any boats are around. And they can see our fire. I thought maybe over there." He pointed toward a grove of closely set coconut palms. "We can lean sticks against them and put leaves over them."

"You've made two errors, Humphrey. One, I will not sleep in the dirt again and two, coconuts are deadly, and you may not have enough brain cells to worry about if one lands on your head, but I can't say the same about myself." Dan muttered something she couldn't quite catch, swinging around to survey the beach behind him. "What did you say?"

"I said, I should be so lucky." He looked back at her. "Fine, you go find somewhere off the ground, with the required 1000 thread count sheets, and order me a mojito while you're at it." He pointed to a large tree growing apart from the others, heavy with large green and yellow nuts. It grew on a slant toward the water, offering a fairly gentle climb in comparison to its upright neighbours. "I'll be over there."

Blair frowned. "I hate coconut."

"Good, there will be more for me."

Blair couldn't hold back the exasperation from her sigh as she watched Dan survey the palm from every angle before clambering awkwardly up the curve of the trunk. He began to shimmy up it, his bare shoulders flexing as they kept him steady. "There's coconuts on the ground, why don't you just collect them?"

"The green ones are better to drink. Those are probably old and I'm not going to all the effort of opening one just to get sick."

"How do you know that?" She crossed her arms before her. "The tree that grew in Brooklyn was a coconut?"

His lips twitched at her words, the effort of hoisting himself up the tree making his reply come in a breathy rush. "No, you've clearly never had the pleasure of drinking an icy cold green coconut on a hot day in the tropics. Now can you stop distracting me and seriously start to look for a place we can sleep? Or do I have to do everything?"

She rested her hand on the tree below him. "I thought once you'd finished playing Boy Scout, we could lean the sticks against this very palm. It's above the high tide mark and it's on such an angle, it can't drop nuts on us."

Dan grunted, he had nearly reached the top of the tree and the trunk sloped upward again, leaving him to struggle over the last foot of bark. His shorts had ridden up exposing the strained muscles of his thighs. Blair held her breath as they nearly lost their grip but his hands eventually found purchase in the stalks of the palm fronds. The nuts lay in reach of his arms and he tried to pull at them. She felt a pang clench her gut as his legs slipped again from the effort. "Twist them off, you idiot, you're going to fall if you do that, and I'm not going to nurse you if you get hurt."

He looked down at her but didn't waste his energy on a retort, instead following her advice and twisting the nut slowly in his hand. After a few complete turns it dropped to the sand with a soft thud. Dan moved onto the next one, working his way around the tree and it wasn't long before a collection of the green and yellow nuts lay on the ground below him. Once the harvest had been completed, his legs lost their grip and he slipped down the trunk, clutching frantically at it to slow his descent. He moaned as he collapsed on the sand. "Ow. I think that took half the skin off my thigh."

She walked over to him, pulling at the fabric of his shorts. The matter of factness with which she touched him made Dan flinch. "It didn't even tear. But you should be more careful."

"Flattering that you're so incredibly concerned for my safety, Waldorf."

She blinked rapidly down at him. "Its not my job to climb the coconut trees."

"Oh, is that right? What is your job?"

"Clearly, I'm the brains of the operation." Blair picked up one of the coconuts, shaking it to listen to the liquid slosh inside. "How do we open it."

"You tell me, Einstein." He curled up from the sand, taking the nut from her to examine the thick husk. "Maybe a sharp stick?"

Blair left him in the sand, looking for a piece of driftwood that fitted that description. The smooth wood lying on the beach was rounded and polished from it's time in the sea but she managed to pry loose a piece that had broken off, leaving a sharp shard of wood at its end.

Dan had worked the coconut into the sand so it stayed upright and took the stick from her, lifting it to plunge it into the husk. It barely left a bruise on the hard exterior, instead shattering into pieces from the impact. "Ok, that's not going to work. Maybe we could try a rock." He looked up at her encouragingly. "A sharp one?"

"I think it's your turn to fetch, Humphrey."

"Come on, I think I deserve a little respite from duties. I was the one who got these, wasn't I?"

Blair's lips were really parched now and the salt crusting on her skin made it itchy and dry. She narrowed her eyes, but Dan just collapsed onto the sand closing his eyes to her glare. She looked up the beach to the outcrop of rocks and then back at him. He had one eye open but shut it quickly at her glance.

She sighed resignedly and walked up to the rocks, her thirst winning the war against her desire to pursue the disagreement. The sand burned against her bare feet, making her quicken her pace against the discomfort. Loose rocks lay scattered around the outcrop and she selected a few that she thought might be suitable, returning to drop them carelessly at Dan's feet. He looked them over, trying to pick the most likely tool as Blair knelt beside him to watch.

The rock he chose had a sharp edge from where it had broken from the outcrop and he turned it in his hands before raising it to smash against the husk. It gave way almost immediately, cracks opening to show the white pith beneath the tough skin. Another few blows split it entirely, revealing the hardy nut encased within. Dan scratched at the surface until he found the hard shell, twisting the sharp tip of the rock until he felt it give. His eyes met hers, a satisfied spark glowing warmly as his fingers worked at the hole he had made. "Ladies first."

Blair took the nut Dan passed and swallowed deeply of the juice inside it. "Oh..." She took another sip. "It tastes just like coconut water."

"You are incredible, Waldorf. It is coconut water." Dan took it from her and held it to his quivering mouth, taking a long draught.

She should have felt irritated at the smile that broke out on his face; she should have known that her return smile would torment her cracked lips further. But her relief at the touch of liquid against her dry tongue made her forget anything but the simple pleasure of drinking. Her hands reached up to snatch the nut back. "The rest of this is mine. You can open another."

Dan cocked his eyebrow. "So, I held up my end of the deal. How is our shelter coming along?"

She pursed her lips. "You said to chose a place to make it, which I have done. I'll be ready to supervise the construction as soon as you're ready to start the labour."

Dan rolled his eyes but silently bent his head to the next nut to coax it open. Blair finished her own, pushing her fingers inside to scoop out the jelly like flesh that stuck to the inside of the shell. The sand that clung made it crunch against her teeth but nonetheless she felt her spirits rise a little as the coconut filled her stomach and moistened her mouth.

Dan made short work of the next nut, drinking most of it before passing it to her. She held it above her mouth to catch the last drops. "More?"

He stood up, ignoring her gaze, though she made it as beguiling as she could. "Shelter."

Blair peered out across the bay, hoping for any sight of possible rescue but it was only the endlessly lapping waves and the sight of the sun dipping toward the horizon that met her gaze. "I can't believe it's possible to be stuck on a desert island in this day and age."

"I know, I keep thinking I'm going to wake up any minute." He turned to her, his gaze darkly candid. "But we are here, Blair. You say you don't sleep in the dirt but what are all Miss Waldorf's millions if there's nowhere to spend them. We need a shelter."

"I'm not a child, Humphrey. Don't be so condescending."

He raised his brow, his face closing to her as he bent to pick up a piece of wood that lay on the sand. "Blair, we're here, deal with it."

There were a few pieces of driftwood long enough to make struts for their shelter laying on their stretch of beach for Dan to collect, though they wouldn't make the structure particularly sturdy. He collected all the wood he found, piling the smaller pieces just above the tide mark and bringing the longer ones to the tree she sat by. Blair stood up when he dragged over his first load, slipping on her deck shoes against the hot sand and stepping into the sun. It only took a few strides for her to return for her shirt, wrapping it around over her head to protect it from the glare. She glanced at Dan ready to defend her garb if he dare laugh but he didn't look up, his lowered face looking drawn and tired as he wrestled with his armload.

She cleared her throat to get his attention. "Ok...what are we doing?"

He looked pointedly at her. "If you don't want to sleep on the sand then you could lower yourself to start breaking off some of those branches?" He pointed at the dark green shrubs that lined the beach. "Try for the ones with the most leaves." Blair looked where he directed but didn't move. "Blair, if you don't help me, I swear I'm going to make this shelter just for one and you can sleep with the crabs."

"But there are probably spiders in there."

"For Christ's sake, Blair. Ok, you collect the driftwood and I'll get the branches. We need long sticks, can you manage that?" He didn't wait for her answer, only throwing her a vexed glance before stalking away.

Dan had found most of the suitable wood that lay on the sand and Blair didn't feel inclined to wander further to find more. She took her time gathering the few sticks she could find, all the while thinking on another source. A dead tree offered some solution, it's long dead branches weathered silver as they lay exposed against the rocks. They were fairly easy to snap with the heel of her foot but less accommodating when she dragged them back over the sand to where Dan was clearing debris away from the base of their tree. He laid the green branches he had gathered below the curve of the trunk, building up a thick layer of leaves. The sticks rattled as she dropped them behind him. "I don't think this division of labour is very equal, Humphrey."

His eyes creased as he turned at her words, taking in her soiled clothes and sweating brow. "I don't believe it. I just wish I my phone was working so I could take a photo of you. Gossip Girl would come out of retirement just to post it."

"Very funny. I only wish Gossip Girl could, at least someone would know where we were." She would have liked him to celebrate her contribution just a little more, but at least the tension had dropped from his posture.

Blair leaned a stick against the trunk of the palm tree, pressing the base into the sand by the bed of leaves so it would hold firm. It wasn't difficult work though she resented the way it tore at her hands. Dan joined her to lay more on the other side of the structure to make a tent shaped opening that faced the water.

The palm branches that lay around them were easily long enough to reach the length of the walls they had laid but it was difficult to secure them so they would stay in place. Dan took off his shirt, the skin of his chest glowing pale against the reflection of the sand. "This is already so torn up, I guess I could use strips of it to tie it all together."

"Humphrey, you'll likely pass out from sun stroke." Her voice became silky. "As much as I'd like to see you rip that horrible thing to pieces."

"What do you suggest then?"

Blair slipped her shirt from where she had wrapped it round her shoulders, rubbing at the stains that marked the front. "I suppose I can sacrifice my Lauren."

"Blair, mine's already torn up."

"Relax, Humphrey, it's ruined anyway. And it's long enough that we can just tear strips from the bottom and I can still wear it if I have to."

The long strips of fabric made it a simple task to tie the fronds in a layer up the sticks, though it took up more of Blair's shirt than she liked. She worked the fabric with her teeth to tear the linen, wondering all the while what her life had been reduced to. Dan had to walk further and further away to collect enough branches to cover both sides of the shelter so she took her time laying them up the sides, tying them off against each other until a dense layer of leaves covered the sticks to the tree trunk.

Dan lay his last armload beside her as she secured the last branch, pleased at her handiwork. "Done."

"The Waldorf Arboria."

Blair gave him a sour smile. "How long did it take you to think of that?"

"Oh, not long."

"Well, it shows."

Dan snorted as she peered inside the shelter, dipping her head so not to knock it against the tree. The layer of palm leaves blocked out most of the sun, though a few chinks let a few streams of light into the dim interior.

"Now fire, I suppose. It'll be dark soon."

When she crawled inside, there was just enough height to kneel at the entrance. The sense of security the walls around her gave her surprised her, she never thought something so insignificant could feel like a sanctuary. "Do we have to? I could just crawl in here and sleep forever."

Dan's lips tugged up in a weary smile. "I know. But it's going to be dark soon and we need a beacon in case a boat goes by. And hopefully it will help keep away mosquitos."

"Mosquitos? So all of this isn't bad enough, we're going to be plagued by mosquitos too?"

"Probably." Dan began clearing a spot in the sand, smoothing a circle to lay the fire in. Blair sat watching his movements, her heavy eyes blinking sleepily. They snapped open when she heard his retreating footsteps. "Where are you going?"

"To get rocks to ring the fire with, Miss Curiosity. Just stay there, ok? I've got this."

Blair's thighs ached as she stood up, but it was difficult to just sit while Dan continued to work. He looked exhausted, like he could just drop where he stood. The scrub that lined the beach left dry litter on the ground and she walked toward it to gather some kindling for the fire. Each piece she collected was carefully kicked to dislodge any stray insect that could be lurking beneath it until she was convinced it was safe to pick up and place in the slowly growing pile beside her. A crackle in leaves made her look up to meet Dan's amused eyes.

"What are you doing? Rain dances are a myth, Waldorf."

She gave him a withering glance. "Collecting kindling, Humphrey. Even I know that you can't light a fire with just sticks."

"Go and sit down. You look ready to drop."

She hovered as he took over her task, watching as he swiftly added more dry twigs and leaves to the pile she had started. "Dan? No one's come. You said that someone would have found us by now."

He sat back on his heels toying with the twig in his hands. "I know, I guess the storm has made such a mess of things they couldn't start the search. They'll find us tomorrow, don't worry, Waldorf. And meanwhile, it could actually be worse."

"What do you mean worse? How could it be possibly worse than this?"

His eyes met hers soberly. "Well, we could still be floating at sea. It's the purest luck that we're here at all. And I for one, am going to count my blessings." He picked up the pile she had accumulated. "I think that's enough. And," he nodded toward the sun, glowing dimly through the rosy clouds on the horizon, "if we don't want to be stumbling around in the dark, we need to get this fire started."

Dan laid the fire without comment. Blair had never imagined he could be so self sufficient, his dark head diligently bent as he arranged the wood to his liking. They both held their breath as he tried the lighter. It sprayed sparks against the flint but on the third try, a small flame sprung up, winning a relieved sigh from Dan. Soon a comforting blaze flickered green and orange in the pile of driftwood.

The sunset was glorious, orange and pinks colouring the clouds and setting a rosy glow over the water, though dark followed swiftly after it. Dan sat with his head bent, working at another coconut, the more yellow husk showing it's maturity. Blair chewed at the piece of coconut meat he passed her but the dry mealy flesh was difficult to swallow. She put it down on her knee and pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes, trying to stop the sudden rush of moisture that had sprung there. Dan's industry had kept her mind occupied, but now it was dark and there was nothing to stop her thoughts delving back into the dark moments they had shared in the water.

"Dan...I didn't thank you... I need...to thank you." Her words came in a disjointed rush. "I know I'd be dead if you hadn't jumped in the water to save me."

His eyes flicked sideways, reflecting the light of the fire. Softening a little as they met hers. "I'm glad I did it. I'd do it again. It doesn't matter that we're not really friends anymore, Blair, I still like to think of you making life hell for some poor soul somewhere in the world." He leaned his head back focussing on the stars beginning to appear above them. "And I doubt I would never have forgiven myself if I hadn't."

She had never ceased to feel a certain friendliness towards Dan, she just didn't know how to behave around him any more, always conscious of his judgement directed at her. But the way he spoke, in such a matter of fact fashion, made her feel a little sorrow that they had grown so distant. "I'm sorry I've been so difficult. This isn't easy on you either."

His hand reached out to touch her shoulder. The human contact warmed her and she unconsciously leaned toward him. "You haven't been difficult. Not really." He gave her a slow smile. "Well, not in comparison to how I thought you'd be." Blair stiffened but Dan just nudged her with his elbow, his voice growing airy. "I guess...in retrospect, if I was going to be stuck on an island with someone, it could be worse than you."

Blair let her lips curl up in return. "Can you imagine Serena here?"

Dan laughed. "I can actually, she'd probably look at it as a perfect opportunity for tanning. And as for Chuck, well he'd be trying to negotiate with the sharks to get them to tow him off the island"

Blair fell silent at the mention of Chuck's name and Dan didn't pursue the topic, whether out of tact or disinterest, it didn't matter. It still sent her mind on a track she had been avoiding all day. She doubted he even knew she was missing. Surely, despite how things lay between them, if he knew, he'd expend every effort to find her. She wanted to be found, it just that she wasn't sure if she wanted Chuck to be the one to do it. It felt curious, how dispassionate her thoughts were, that she could just think of him for once without longing or despair.

Dan brushed her arm to draw her attention. "I'm going to bed, there's nothing to stay awake for."

"There's nothing to wake up for either." Melancholy had settled upon her, it didn't help that Dan had the affront to brush her hair from her brow. She tugged her head away. "I'm going to stay up for a while. Maybe I'll see a boat."

Blair sat motionless by the fire after he left her, her eyes fixed on the water. The moon illuminated the sea so it felt like she could see for miles. But no welcome flicker of lights marred her view or sound of a distant motor disturbed the peace.

It wasn't long before she gave up her vigil and crawled in beside Dan. The shelter was small, hardly even the size of a two man tent. She wanted to complain that there was enough beach for them not to sleep quite so close, but a worry that he might take her up on her suggestion shut her mouth before she could say the words. It wasn't that she wanted to be near him particularly but the thought of sleeping alone and exposed that made her curl into his back and try to sleep, her eyes dropping closed to the musky salt smell of Dan's shirt.


	3. Chapter 3

**MEH to the finale. All nicely wrapped up with a bow with a giant turd inside. Don't these people have any imagination at all? The dialogue about B and C going to to a desert island made me giggle though! **

**This chapter is pretty snarky but I think it's necessary to reestablish their relationship. Sorry that I'm updating this slower than I intended. The festive season and work commitments have made it a bit tough to dedicate time to writing. I'm away on holiday for the next two weeks and I doubt I'll get much writing in so, although I have a fair bit of the next chapter done, I don't think I'll be able to post it until I'm back. But one never knows...at least I'll have some time on the plane.**

**Anyway, merry Festivus, I hope you have a glorious time, with friends and loved ones, and if this is my present to you, then would love some more of your most welcome reviews in return (nudge, nudge ;).**

* * *

Dan awoke with a start. There was a gap in the roof of the shelter and a ray of sunlight shone straight into his half open eyes, making him squint in discomfort. He had thought he would sleep like the dead, but instead stirred in fits and starts all night, disturbed by the faint noises of seabirds and the lapping waves. The peace was almost unnerving. His fingers still itched for his journal, as they had for the whole restless night. Never before had he not had access to at least a scrap of paper and a pencil; he could hardly scratch the words in his mind out in the sand. It was a uniquely uncomfortable situation, but there was little he could do to remedy it.

Blair still slept, curled into his side, her hands making loose fists beneath her chin. Dark circles remained under her eyes, though she had lain quietly beside him all night, her breathing regular and comforting. He eased himself from the tight space, trying not to disturb her, and stretched the kinks from his body, massaging at the knots in his shoulders. It took a while to limber up. The night at sea supporting Blair, and the day after spent in unfamiliarly arduous activity, left him sore in every joint. All he wished to do was lay down and rest some more.

The day was still fairly early by Dan's estimation, the sun hovered in the east, casting shade across the beach. He sat down by the still smoking campfire to contemplate their situation and how to best use the morning. Though he hadn't voiced his concerns to Blair, he was terrified that Nate's yacht had gone down and, not only had they lost their friends, no one would know Blair and he were missing and awaiting rescue. The coconuts could only sustain them for so long and if their weren't picked up soon, then the situation could quickly grow dire.

Before his sombre thoughts could take him in a doleful grip, Dan distracted himself by taking two of the last coconuts: an older one to try an extract some nut meat from and a green one for drinking. He looked solemnly down at the last few that remained. Knowing that he would have to climb for more in the not so distant future didn't please him in the slightest.

The rocks at the end of the cove they had landed in were far enough from the shelter so any noise wouldn't wake Blair, allowing her to sleep for as long as possible. She had been fortitude itself, it had surprised him how calmly she had dealt with their situation, at least relatively. But he had known by the look of strain in her eyes the night before how close she was to breaking point.

The coconuts opened easily under his handling, his hands becoming used to the action. His care though, in trying to leave Blair in peace, came to nothing as he heard stirring from the shelter followed by the emergence of her tousled head. "Is there a boat? I thought I heard something!"

He raised his brow in response to her piercing look. "Good morning to you too, Waldorf. Do you think I'd be calmly standing here if there was?"

"I don't know what you do, Humphrey." Her voice came sullenly as she crawled from the shelter and made her way to the shore, splashing seawater to her face. "I'm so thirsty. And I don't want anymore coconut, it makes me feel sick."

"I guess this is all mine then?" He lifted the coconut he had cracked open to his lips, pretending to drain it while ignoring her noises of outrage.

"Humphrey, how could you not share? This is a life and death situation. I think I should be in charge of the coconuts."

Dan couldn't help but chuckle at her narrowed eyes and irritated posture as she came to stand beside him. "Waldorf, lighten up. There's plenty more, you'd almost think they grew on trees."

"Did you ever think I might be thirsty as well? This isn't all about you."

"No, of course, this is about you." He poked her playfully in the ribs, dodging aside as she tried to elbow him in return. His ploy had worked though, it was better that she was annoyed with him, rather than dwelling in a blue funk.

The sun had risen higher, the sting already penetrating his skin. He'd prefer not to be out in it for too much longer, if he were to keep any skin on his face at all. The light reflected off the water, making him wish for his sunglasses as he peered across to see if the tide had receded. Not that it mattered much, the Caribbean tides were almost unnoticeable. "I might try to spear a fish today. The water should be teeming with them." He held the coconut out to her. "And there might be something left in there, if you're lucky."

Blair scowled before snatching the nut from his hands and drank deeply, coughing a little as the liquid spilled over her lips and dripped down her chin. Looking at him a little sheepishly as she realised the shell was almost full. Her tone softened markedly. "With what?"

"I don't know, Greedy. Between us we must be able to come up with something." Dan looked around. "Ummm...maybe need a long stick...and where is that bracelet of yours? It looked barbaric enough to serve, though Serena's jewellery was always the pointiest."

She returned to the shelter and picked the bracelet up from the sand where it had dropped the day before. "I'll have you know this cost seven thousand dollars."

"And I would pay at least double that for something other to eat than coconut."

Blair held it for a moment in her hand, her fingers tracing the diamonds inlaid in the gold, before passing it to him. Dan weighed it in the palm of his hand. "Are you sure though? I could probably try something else."

She turned away, looking out over the horizon. "It's fine. I don't care for it anyway. Chuck..."

Dan's lip twisted at her faltering words but he didn't reply, only looking intently at her before slowly retracing his steps to the rocky outcrop. She walked back to the shelter, carefully removing a long straight stick from the flimsy walls, though she didn't bring it to him immediately, instead trailing the stick through the damp sand at the shore line.

Dan cast his eyes around, wishing for an alternative to destroying Blair's jewellery. They fell on the phone he had left in the sand. Enough of his previous iPhone's had dropped on Brooklyn's sidewalks to make him recall how easily the glass face shattered. He lay it on the rocks considering the best way to proceed, turning slightly when he felt Blair's presence at his shoulder.

"I don't think there's an app for that."

"If only, a spear fishing app."

"They'd have to make it waterproof first." She pursed her lips, and he had to bite his own to against the urge to laugh.

"My idea, Waldorf. Don't even think about stealing it."

Blair snorted, the troubled expression dropping from her features. "I have no need for it, Humphrey. Although I can recognise the literary justice. Struggling writer makes first million from phone app."

Dan did chuckle this time, wanting to point out that although he was still a writer, 'struggling' wasn't the most accurate way to describe his state. He stayed silent as he considered her words more carefully. Clearly she hadn't followed his career at all and it gave him an odd pang that she didn't think him even worthy of googling his name every now and then.

He raised the rock he'd selected and his thoughts perhaps made his first blow a little more violent than he intended. "Easy, Rambo." Blair's eyes met him with amusement as he raised his head at her words.

The glass had shattered on impact, deep cracks splintering through the face. It still, however, stubbornly held in one piece and he scrabbled uselessly at the surface, trying to work it free. "I don't know if this is going to work. I'm liable to smashing thing to bits."

Blair passed him a piece of shell to scratch at it with, but he still couldn't work it into the cracks. He took up the rock again, making a more careful series of taps until a dent formed that he could work the edge of the shell into, prying off the protective screen. Finally it came free and he managed to remove the whole face, loosening the shards. Most of the glass had shattered into small pieces but a few long pieces remained.

Blair placed her hand on her hip as she regarded his movements. "I really don't see how that's going to work. Surely the glass will break."

"Well, aside from tickling fish, I don't know what else to try." He touched the point of a glass shard with his fingertip, feeling it's keenness. "Though I don't think the fish are going to stay still long enough for me to stab them to death."

"You should just tell them a story. They'll be sure to commit suicide before too long."

Dan's eyes gave a grieved flash at Blair's words. "You're still just as mean as you always were, aren't you, Waldorf."

"Not always." She took a deep breath and thrust forward the stick she had collected. "I got this."

He wrapped his fingers around the shaft, feeling the balance in his palm. Athletics hadn't been his favourite sport at school, although he'd always been able to run. He had picked up a javelin a few times but couldn't for the life of him remember any technique. The top of the stick had a narrow split and he worked his fingernails into it to open it further. "I can probably wedge the glass in here and wrap it with more of your shirt."

Blair looked as though she regretted her generosity the day before, but didn't speak as she took off her abused shirt to tear another strip from the ragged bottom edge. It was only when she dropped the rag in front of him that she voiced her displeasure. "Why do all of your solutions involve destroying something of mine?"

"Not always." His eyes sketched over her face, taking in her flushed cheeks. "You're sun burnt. You should stay in the shade." He smiled and he reached out to flick her nose.

Blair flinched away. "I know. So should you."

"The fish for our dinner won't catch itself." He let his fingers rest fleetingly on her cheek, despite the assault of the sun it still felt as soft as it ever had. "I'm serious, stay out of the sun for a while. If you must do something, you can bash another coconut. You should be good at that. Just pretend it's my head."

Dan withdrew his hand as Blair dropped her eyes and, feeling a level discomfort settle between them, was happy to focus back on the task before him. He wedged the glass solidly into the stick, wrapping it with the strip of fabric to secure it. Though the point was short, he hoped it would still be effective.

Blair had retreated the deep shade near the shelter, barely looking at him as he waded into the water to find a likely spot for a fish. Hidden rocks in the sand stubbed his bare toes making him regret not putting his shoes on before setting out.

He chose a spot on a ledge that dropped away to deeper water, making an irregular rock pool. Fish moved fleetly in the water below him, seeming to nip at the reef, never staying still for long. Most were tiny but now and then he would see a flash of something bigger, leading him to plunge the spear down in hope.

Every minute or so he looked up to what Blair was doing. It was difficult to stay on task when she moved so purposefully across the beach. Rather than try her hand at opening a coconut, she focussed her attention on shaping large letters from any debris that lay at hand. The first letter had almost been laid out making an awkward 'S'. Words broke from his lips without thinking. "What are you writing? 'Send Dorota'?"

"No, 'Shoot Humphrey'."

"Wouldn't 'Shoot Dan' be faster to spell out?"

"Yes, but not anywhere near so satisfying." Her pert voice rang out over the beach. "Now shut up, you're probably scaring the fish."

Dan shifted the spear in his hands, shoulders aching from the stance. Holding the spear poised ready was harder than he thought it would be. He looked back over to Blair as he stretched. She had wrapped the remains of her shirt around her head like a turban to shade her face from the sun as she found any object she could to spell the 'SOS' darkly against the sand. He wasn't sure how effective it would be. The large letters faded obscurely, even from the short distance he watched from. But he didn't want to defeat her by telling her so.

The sun had moved across the sky so it was almost directly above him and Dan's mouth began to feel dry. His aim was not improving and one more clumsy shot chipped the glass off almost at the base of the stick. He looked at it regretfully before plunging bodily into the water, scaring the fish away. At least the cool refreshed his skin temporarily, even though it did nothing to quench his rising thirst.

Blair sat in the shade by the shelter, half heartedly tapping at the remaining coconut. "So, no fish? I knew it."

"The spear head broke off. I guess I'll have to try something else. And, yes, you're welcome to say you knew that too. I know you're thinking it."

Blair took the spear from him, looking at the blunt head. "You could have been more careful."

"You try it. I'm not Bear Grylls, Waldorf. It's harder than it looks." The optimism he had started the task with had faded and now only disappointment gnawed at his stomach alongside the ever present hunger. "I suppose we could eat insects."

She dropped the spear to the sand. "I'm not Bear Grylls either. I'd prefer to die of starvation before that."

"Coconut it is then. Do you want to come for a walk to see if I can find another tree to climb?"

"No. As entertaining as that sounds, I'm going to take a nap." She left him in abruptly, crawling into the shelter without even a backward glance.

Dan slipped his shoes on and wandered along the shore, wondering how to best supplement their diet. Seagulls hopped nervously away from him, keeping their distance as they eyed the small crabs that scurried across the beach. Neither seemed a likely food source.

The rest of the coconut trees on their stretch of beach reached into the sky, their trunks straight and tall, impossible for a novice like him to climb. As the prevailing wind came from the eastern side of the island, Dan thought it more likely to find trees there with at least enough lean for him to be able to clamber up them. He was sure he had seen some possibilities on his walk around the island the previous day, though his mind had been so preoccupied he couldn't recall exactly where.

Rather than walk around the beach aimlessly, Dan's feet took him toward away from the water toward the scrub than lined the small hill in the centre of the island, thinking to wander to the top to get a better view of their surroundings. It was steeper than he had supposed but plateaued at the top, the scrub dipping into a sandy clearing.

He gave a soft exclamation at what met his eyes. The remains of an old shanty lay collapsed in a heap, it's state showing it long abandoned. Beyond lay a small stand of green trees, columns of familiar fruit drooping heavily from the trunks. He wasn't sure if they were plantains or unripe bananas, but either way the sight was welcome. Another tree hung with large globes, ranging from dark to a yellow green. It's proximity to the collapsed hut could only make Dan suppose the fruit was edible.

It gave off a rich sharp aroma as Dan felt one, the flesh giving beneath the pressure of his fingers. His stomach grumbled with a desire to eat, though he had never seen the fruit before. It was difficult to ignore his wary thought and not break open the skin immediately. But if it were poisonous, it would be at least better that he was near Blair, even if she could do little to help him. Not that her mood gave him any idea that she might be inclined to.

His feet slipped a little as he plunged back down the slope toward their shelter and he had to slow his pace to prevent himself from tumbling over. "Blair! Come and see what I found."

Her voice came sleepily from the shelter. "It better be good, Humphrey."

"It's not a fish, but I think it's edible."

The expression on her face as it appeared was all hopeful expectation. "What is it?"

"I don't know, some kind of fruit." He held it out so she could look at it more closely.

"Are you sure we can eat it?"

"I hope so. It smells pretty good."

Blair didn't look convinced as she sniffed at the fruit. "You're going first."

Dan broke the skin open with his fingers revealing a the creamy flesh spotted with large dark seeds. It looked edible enough but caution paused his hands. He looked up to catch Blair's eye, giving her a wink. "So if I die here, do you promise to let my fans know how much I appreciated them."

She scoffed. "Fans, what your dad and your sister?"

"I suppose that'll do. And you won't desecrate my body?"

"Just eat the damn thing, Humphrey. God, you would try the patience of a saint!"

A smile shaped itself on his lips as he bent his head to the fruit in his hands. His mouth puckered at the sweet, sharp taste, salivating at the juice that flooded his mouth.

Blair looked at him impatiently. "Is it good?"

Dan gave his head a mournful shake, before spitting out one of the seeds. "You'd hate it. It's probably best for you to stick to coconuts."

"Give me that." She snatched the half eaten fruit from him before he could pass it to her and took a bite, and then another, until all that remained was the green skin.

"Wouldn't it have been better to wait to see if I died a long slow death before eating the entire thing?"

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "You were just trying to keep it to yourself."

"There was more, you know. Bananas, I think. I can show you if you like?"

Blair stood up, brushing the sand from her legs. "You could have said that earlier. Come on, what are we waiting for?"

"Nothing at all, Waldorf. Nothing at all."

The spark of protectiveness that flamed inside him wouldn't be helped as he took Blair's hand to help her up the steepest part of the slope to the plateau, watching her face closely as she took in the surroundings. She walked over to inspect the different trees. "I can't believe this is here. Plantains, and I think that could even be breadfruit."

Dan followed her gesture. He hadn't noticed the tree before but it's large leaves masked rough skinned, bright green fruit. "Breadfruit? I've never seen it before but we roast them, I think."

She moved to the tree that he had taken the fruit they had already eaten from, plucking another ripe one. "We should move up here."

Dan considered her words. The height offered an almost 360 degree view of the ocean, giving them a better chance of spotting any boats that chanced past. "I guess we should. We should see if we can find anything in the hut first. The wood might be good at least to burn. We could make a bonfire to try and attract a boat."

"Can we eat first?". Her hopeful expression made him smile.

"God, yes. Please." They sat in the shade of a tree, picnicking on the fruit, the juicy flesh both filling their stomachs and slaking their thirst. "I don't have any idea what this is. My knowledge of fruit doesn't really extend past the common stuff found at my local green grocer."

"It looks a bit like a custard apple. I don't really care though," her mouth curved on the words, "unless it has very slow acting poison, at least I don't have to eat anymore coconut."

Dan stood and held out his hand to help Blair to her feet but she ignored it, walking beside him to the ruined shanty. He looked at the pile of timber, a little daunted by the tangle of wood. "I guess we just start from the top."

Blair smirked. "Your logic astounds me, Humphrey. Could you be anymore obvious?"

"Alright, alright. Just help me ok? Grab the end of that piece and we'll do it bit by bit." The palm thatched roof had mostly rotted away, leaving a frame work of wood and Dan leaned over to work free part of it, withdrawing his hand quickly as it bit into his skin. "And watch out for splinters."

She gingerly joined him, inspecting each piece before wrapping her hands around it, but despite her care they managed to work swiftly, their movements working in unison. At least until she gave a piercing shriek, dropping the length of timber they held between them so that Dan had to leap back to prevent it crashing into his feet.

"Blair! Are you ok? What is it?"

Her trembling finger pointed at the wood that lay between them. "Spider, a huge black one."

Dan carefully lifted the timber, flipping it over as he swiftly stepped back. A spider there was indeed, so large that it would have easily spanned the reach of his own long fingers. The wood had half squashed it so it lay mangled, it's hairy black legs twitching. Dan managed to overcome his own revulsion before speaking. "Nice catch. It's big enough to roast for dinner."

Blair shuddered. "I'll stick with the fruit, thank you very much."

Dan took up a stick and flicked the remains of the spider away. "Well, it's dead now, let's keep going."

She gave him a look of alarm. "I'm not going any where near there. It's probably got an angry spouse craving revenge."

"Blair, come on. I can't move it all by myself and there could be something really useful in there." She shook her head decisively and retreated under a tree, leading Dan to sigh in resignation. "Fine, you supervise from there then." It was a challenge trying to move the pieces of wood alone, not that they were that heavy but the length was unwieldy and his shirt kept getting caught on the rough bark. Eventually he tore it off with a curse, dropping it to the sand beside him before continuing his labour. Irritation surged in his stomach as he glanced over at Blair sitting in the shade, lazily watching him work.

He lowered his head determined to ignore her, only looking up as his struggle with a particularly heavy piece of wood eased. Blair had taken up the other end, her cheeks pink and her eyes averted. "Don't you dare say anything. And if there is even a hint of anything else alive in there, I'm leaving and never coming back up here. I don't care if I have to eat coconuts for the rest of my life."

He rolled his eyes dramatically but took her at her word, keeping his mouth closed. They moved the wood piece by piece, piling the longer flat lengths to use and discarding the debris in a pile to burn. Finally they cleared it away, revealing a broken slat bed and the rotten remains of some bedding. Beside it lay an old cast iron cooking pot and a tin mug. The mug had long rusted through but the iron of the pot was still solid below the corrosion.

Blair scratched at the flakes of rust. "We can scour it with sand to clean it, I guess."

Dan wiped his hand across his brow. "I just need to try to catch something to put in it."

Blair kicked at the remaining rubble, sneezing at the dust that rose from the sandy floor. She leaned down, her fingers brushing though the settling dust. "And even better. Look at this."

The curved blade she held aloft was dark with dirt but he recognised it's use immediately. "A machete."

"Indeed." She passed him the blade. The wooden handle had rotten long ago but a few scratches at the corroded surface showed clean metal beneath. Dan's heart lifted to see the genuine smile spread across her face, no hint of caprice or spite. "Finding that feels better than finding a Birkin bag on sale."

Dan felt a return grin stretch the tender skin on his cheeks. "I don't know what you're talking about but I assume that's good?"

"Very good, Humphrey." She creased her brow. "You didn't look very hard yesterday. I knew there had to be something else here."

"Sorry, your helplessness. I forgot that you're incapable of looking around yourself."

She narrowed her eyes. "You said there was nothing here. I took you at your word."

Dan out over the water, not wanting to engage the conversation further, in case the sense of camaraderie they had found was lost once more. The sun was speeding it's descent toward the horizon. "I think it's too late for us to move up here today."

"Your evasion tactics are noted, Humphrey. But I concur." She wandered over to a tree they had designated as breadfruit, regarding the rough skinned fruit with interest. "Which ones are best to eat do you think?"

"I guess it's trial and error." He walked over to stand beside her. "Let's take a few of them. This one looks ripe and this one looks immature. We can roast them both on the fire and see which is better. It's not like there's not enough of them."

"And some plantains?"

"Why not? You get some more of the custard apple things too. I'll get the plantains. If the song speaks the truth, there'll be tarantulas in there."

Blair recoiled at his words. "What are you talking about?"

He grinned at her as he took up the machete from their small pile of booty, his voice breaking into song. "A beautiful bunch of ripe banana...daylight comes and Blair want to go home...hide the deadly black tarantula...daylight come and Blair want to go home."

"You are an idiot." But there was a laugh in her voice that belied her frowning lips.

"So I've been told." He waggled his eyebrows at her before heading into the grove of plantains.

They descended the slope with their arms laden with fruit, their feet sliding in the hot sand as they returned to their shelter. Dan found it uncanny how quickly they divided tasks and settled to them, working silently in unison. That the steel that lay within her was adaptable didn't surprise him, that she was so amenable to it did. He could sense the quiet satisfaction coming from her as she brought yet another pile of dry leaves to the campfire. "I think that's enough."

"Uh huh, it's still smouldering a bit anyway. It should light easily."

They bickered comfortably over how the kindling was to be laid, where the rocks to support the breadfruit were positioned and how to cook the plantains. The different fruits blackened quickly in the flames and Dan used two sticks to turn them so they would cook evenly. "I guess they're ready. They smell good at least."

"I would debate that, but I'm too frail from lack of food to do it."

"I sincerely doubt that. You could put together a good argument on your death bed."

He laid the fruit out on a plantain leaf to keep them from the sand. The breadfruit split open easily, the cream coloured doughy flesh releasing steam, his stomach rumbling from the aroma. He split off a portion and passed it to Blair on a smaller piece of leaf and she cradled it in her hands as he prepared his own serve, watching his movements intently. "You can start without me, you know."

"Manners, Humphrey. It's not done to start before everyone is served. Watch and learn."

Dan picked up his portion. The flesh collapsed in his fingers as he lifted it to his mouth. It tasted vaguely like bread, but more like badly mashed potatoes with no cream or milk. A touch of salt would have improved it vastly. "I don't know why it's called breadfruit. Bland fruit would be more suitable." Blair had yet to touch hers and Dan's mouth curled in amusement. "I'm not sure if you can call it manners to wait to see if the chef is poisoned first."

Blair shot him a withering look before lowering her head to the food. She ate without comment, Dan kept raising his head in expectation of some pithy rejoinder, but she stayed silent, picking at the fruit.

The sun descended quickly. Dan was becoming used to the lack of twilight in the tropics, the night descending like a warm blanket. The circle of light the fire cast made their surroundings recede and sounds of the island became more distinct.

The flames flickered against Blair's skin, her dark eyes appearing black under the shadow of her hair. He cleared his throat to claim her attention, smile on his lips. "They'll be sure to find us tomorrow. Don't dwell on it too much, Blair. And meanwhile, I think we're doing ok."

She looked up then, her eyes guarded. "You might call this ok, I call it scraping by."

"Either, or. At least, when we do get found they won't just be stumbling on our rotting corpses, and I call that ok. I think we've been lucky."

Her mouth turned down. "Lucky would have been washing up on the beach in front of the Le Cap est Lagoon."

Irritation mixed with his sense of exhaustion. It was typical that she would keep searching for the most negative aspect, just when he was beginning to find some peace. He tossed the remains of his meal into the fire and stood up. "Ok. You win. Feel free to wallow in your misery. I for one am going to bed...and before you think of another snide remark pointing out that beds require feather mattresses and Egyptian cotton sheets, let me tell you that I'm well aware of the limitations of our situation and I would give anything to be in my own home well away from this beach...and your determination to snipe about everything. But I'm trying to deal with this in the best way I can, because I have no other option."

Blair raised her head, a look of disdain crossing her features. "Are you done lecturing me?"

"Yes, I'm done."

"Great. I'm sure you feel better now you have that off your chest." She bent her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her calves. "You are dismissed."

"Blair, you dismissed me a long time ago." He stalked to the shelter, the compunction already pricking his conscience softening his words. "Can you put more wood on the fire before you sleep? We should leave the fire burning in case a boat goes by."

Blair nodded but didn't look up. Dan felt a compulsion to sit back down beside her to tease out the troubles that lay under her downcast lids, or at least pick up the threads of their argument. But her face was tight, small teeth plucking at her lower lip. He hadn't meant to be so harsh, it was just that her constant pessimism had finally goaded him into a response. His fingers clenched against the impulse to rest on her shoulder as he bid her goodnight before crawling inside their shelter.

Exhaustion pulsed through his body but his mind wouldn't stop ticking over, anxiety getting the better of him. Only two days spent in her company and already he felt her drawing him in, his sense of protectiveness turning into something that wanted to please. He had to guard himself better, not let her get under his skin. The resolution calmed his thoughts a little but it wasn't until he heard the soft pad of Blair's feet in the sand, and the rustle of the leaves beside him as she lay down, that he allowed his mind to finally relax and drift off.


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm back! Happiest of New Years, dear readers. I think there are another two or three chapters at the most of this. And I'm off work for another week so I hope to get some quality writing in. It's turned out much longer than I intended but Dan and Blair just have so damn much to say to each other. And then I promise to get back to the OATPC. I was not enjoying writing that story at all for a while, but I just read over what I had for the next chapter and realised that it may be more salvageable than I thought.**

**Thanks for all your reviews. You guys are awesome and I love reading your thoughts.**

* * *

Sleep was an elusive beast. The previous night had been easy, she'd been so exhausted from her ordeal Blair could have slept on a rock. Now the branches beneath her dug into her spine, so she could never get comfortable, and every unfamiliar noise made her jump. Dan seemed blissfully unaware of her wakefulness and although she didn't begrudge him his sleep, she knew how much he needed it, it didn't make it any easier being able to see his open, vulnerable features dimly illuminated beside her.

He was just too present and she was struggling to keep him at arms length, though he never came that physically close. She kept getting distracted by the flash of his smile against his darkening skin and the curl of his unruly hair over his brow. Trying not to respond to the sharp lines of his body and the acute angles of his mind. But even more disturbing was the understanding, the empathy with which he would look at her. It both attracted and repelled. She wanted to engage him and respond, in an endless to and fro of words. But it troubled her; she had forgotten just how easy Dan's companionship could be, how much she had liked him. It made her behave so contrarily, one moment responding thoughtlessly to his wit and the next throwing up a wall of ice. And it confused him, it had always been easy to read his bewilderment and once she enjoyed keeping him off kilter. Now it just made her feel as confused as he was.

An unfamiliar patter of noise distracted Blair from her thoughts, rousing her to further awareness. It was darker than before, and the humidity pressed unbearably. The sound started to get heavier and she lay confused for a moment before she saw a drip of water at the opening of the shelter. She rolled over onto her back and slid from where she lay until the drip dropped directly into her mouth. It was woody and dusty and just about the best thing she'd ever tasted.

She inched her way out completely, until the warm drops of rain fell on her, loosening the salt and the grit that had been tormenting her. Opening her mouth to catch the liquid, drawing it over her tongue. She sucked the moisture from the ends of her hair, tasting the salt and the faint remains of her L'Occitane conditioner.

Never been anything so wonderful than the tropical deluge of water running over her face. It was too sweet to hold to herself, despite the tension between Dan and herself the night before. She slipped back inside the shelter, leaning over his prone form. "Dan, wake up." She shook her head so a spray of water dripped over him. "Dan, it's raining. Wake up!"

His eyes opened lazily, almost black in the dim light, his hand sliding up to grasp hers where it lay wetly on his chest. "Huh?"

She tensed, withdrawing her fingers, even as the sleep cleared from his eyes and he focussed upon her. "It's raining. I thought you'd want to know."

"Raining? Are you for real?"

"No, Humphrey, I'm just waking you up to torment you further."

He curled up to a sitting position and shuffled out of the shelter behind her, holding his face to the sky with a groan of satisfaction. They both stood in silence as they let the heavy rain pelt into them.

The night was dark, thick clouds obscuring the moon, but still she could see the sheen of water on the taut lines of Dan's chest through his open shirt, the campfire before them still casting a dim glow. He stood with head held aloft to catch the rain in his open mouth. "Oh...this is heaven." He looked down at her as he spoke and in the dim light, with his smile flickering so whitely and the trickle of rain over the sharp angle of his cheek bone, he was beautiful.

She averted her eyes and reached to shuck off the remains of her shirt, to wash herself of the days of grime. Her fingers paused as they toyed with the hem of her dress, feeling strangely shy, though when she glanced across at him again he wasn't watching her at all. "You could probably be using your time more purposefully than just gaping like an imbecile at the sky."

His head snapped down. "You're absolutely right, we should set out something to catch water in."

Blair shook out her shirt. "Yes, but I think it's even more important for you to maybe rinse yourself off a bit. You're starting to smell like that weasel I once likened you to."

She could just make out the crease of his eyelids narrowing in amusement. "Speak for yourself, Waldorf. I've at least been swimming every day. I didn't want to say anything, but it's been getting kind of funky in that tiny little shelter of ours."

"How dare you!" He stepped backwards as she slapped him with her shirt.

"Hey, don't touch me with that gross thing."

"I...don't...smell." She punctuated each word with another slap.

"Stop it. You're wasting valuable rain time." His fingers grabbed the shirt even as she tried to slap him again with it, twisting into the wet fabric over her hand. "Surely even gaping at rain is more useful than beating me with a wet shirt."

He looked down at her, his shadowed gaze growing serious. His hands had loosened on the fabric and she realised her strong grip had almost bought his hands to rest against her stomach. She gave a furious tug, almost pulling the garment from him. "Say I don't smell."

He laughed then and let go completely. "That would be a lie." She lashed at his retreating figure. "You smell nice. Mostly."

Blair surreptitiously sniffed at her armpits as she slipped her dress off over her head. Dan was right, God damn him, and the damp had only seemed to make it more pronounced. He had disappeared into the dark so she used her shirt to scrub at her skin with. It was thankfully too dark to see what kind of filth she was dislodging but she could feel her skin tingling at the abrasion. It was an entirely unfamiliar experience, she couldn't recall ever having smelt her own body odour before and it gave her a shudder of revulsion.

Dan's voice rang out over the thundering rain as she finished washing herself down as best she could, wishing all the while for a simple bar of soap. "Blair, are you going to help me?"

Blair walked over to him after laying her dress out over the shelter. "No. You seem to be doing perfectly well by yourself and I have more important things to attend to." She raised her hands to her hair, trying to squeeze out the rainwater, running her fingers through the tangles.

"But we need to put out anything we can lay our hands on to collect it." He began set out all their empty coconut shells, the iron pot they had found, even their shoes.

Blair made a sound of disgust. "I'm not drinking out of a shoe."

"We can boil it tomorrow. I just hope it keeps raining long enough for us to catch enough to make it worthwhile."

The fabric of her dress had become sodden and a rivulet of water started running from it, trickling to the sand below. It gave her an idea of how to better collect the rain. "Take off your shirt."

"Waldorf, so forward."

"You should be so lucky. Look, the fabric collects the rain better." She laid her dress over the lean of the tree and placed one of the coconut shells below it to catch the stream of water.

"Blair, that is genius." He shucked off his shirt, placing it at the opening of the shelter so the arms hung down on each side. "This one's for us."

"What do you mean?"

"Watch." He crawled back inside the shelter, positioning himself so the water dripped straight into his mouth from the cuff of the shirt. "Are you going to join me?"

She opened her mouth to complain about the fact he'd been wearing that shirt for days and it was the most uncivilised thing she had ever seen. But he looked so absurdly content with his mouth open and his eyes closed, that all she could do was lay down beside him and let the water trickle slowly into her mouth. The angle of the beach meant that they were lying awkwardly down a slope and in order for them both to drink at the same time they had to press their heads together but she couldn't stop the well of amusement springing inside her. The giggle she gave was more a gurgle.

"What's so funny?" His voice came strangled as he tried to negotiate his words around the water.

"We must look so stupid."

"Who's to see? The seagulls can laugh at us all they like."

He was right. There was no one to judge her or speculate and the thought was as refreshing as the water.

As the water slaked her ever present thirst she became more aware of the way Dan's temple pressed against hers and the fact that all that lay between them was the thin Lycra of her swimsuit. She was almost thankful when the rain began to slow and the stream of water became a drip.

Dan sat up and slid out of the shelter when the rain stopped as abruptly as it started. "I think I can say for the first time in days, my thirst is quenched."

Blair didn't answer, instead sitting up and turning so she could lie the other way. Dan rummaged around in the dark for a few moments before joining her. She rolled over as far as she could to try and avoid his touch but the warm wet slide of his arm against her bare back made her skin rise with goose flesh. Her body so aware of him that she clenched her eyes shut and pretended to be asleep when he leaned toward her to wish her sweet dreams.

The day seemed late when she awoke, the heat of sun already warming the shelter uncomfortably. She still felt better than she had the previous days, the opportunity in the night to wash herself off making her feel clean, despite the film of sweat that covered her.

Dan wasn't nearby but he had left an arrow scratched into the sand pointing at some fruit and a coconut for her to breakfast on and the words 'gone fishing' below it. She was almost thankful he wasn't around, his presence becoming so disturbing she needed time to work out a defence.

Blair ate before walking out to the shore line to see if she could spot him, finding him far out on the reef, spear at the ready. She must have slept for even longer than she thought if he'd had time to gather more coconuts and fix the spear before she had woken. He had even collected all the water from the night before, tipping it all into the cast iron pot and covering it with a banana leaf, to simmer slowly on the coals of the fire.

As she watched him, he looked up toward her, raising his hand in greeting though he didn't leave his spot, returning his gaze back to the water before him. It had to be uncomfortable out there, the sun beating on his bare head and reflecting off the water into his eyes. Even the bare minute she had been standing in the sun had made her skin sting.

Blair retreated to the dappled shade next to their camp and started breaking off the leaves from a dry palm frond, plaiting the fibres together. Now they had a source of food and the fluids necessary to keep them going, she could focus on a more secondary task. A long braid shaped itself under her fingers and she began to fashion a kind of hat to shade Dan from the burning rays. As she worked, her respect for the milliners employed at the Waldorf atelier grew. They made the work seem so simple but her fingers ached from the unfamiliar activity.

The resulting hat was a fairly sorry specimen, she doubted Philip Treacy would be headhunting her for her skills anytime soon, but she tried it on her own head and it seemed to work well enough. She slipped on her shoes to make her way out to where Dan stood on the reef, holding the hat up to keep it from getting wet.

"Dan, here wear this." She placed it on his head before he could take it, giggling a little at the comic result. His eyes flashed their gratitude though, as his fingers reached up to adjust the shade more securely over his head.

"Thank you, that's just what I needed. Where's yours?"

"I'm making mine next. Yours was just for practice."

Dan smiled. "Of course." She stood and watched as he raised the spear again, distracted by the ripple of muscle in his arm, looking away when he glanced over at her again. "Are you finding this entertaining?"

"Hardly."

"Just criticising my technique then."

"Always, Humphrey." She cocked her head to the side as she looked down at the reef. "I want to try to catch a fish."

Dan chuckled. "Be my guest. I'm starting to think spear fishing is a myth." He passed her the spear. "Just point and shoot when you see something big enough to eat."

"Hold the tips. I think your lack of success should only tell me what not to do."

He held his hands aloft. "Fine. Just in case you don't catch anything, I'm going to head up the hill and get some more fruit. Just call out if you need me, ok?"

"As if that would ever happen." She whipped the hat off his head before he could depart, placing it over her own with a grin.

"Waldorf giveth and then Waldorf taketh away. I knew it was too good to be true." He shook his head sadly as she giggled, but he returned her smile before turning away from her to make his way back over the reef toward the shore.

Blair stood still, the spear held steady at her shoulder, trying to peer through the reflection of the water to the shallow reef below. Slowly the flashes of movement became more distinct and she could follow the path of the fish, unconcernedly nibbling at the seaweed. Every time she thrust the spear, it would take what felt like hours for the water to calm and her prey to regain their confidence. Dan had watched her from a distance for a while, making her feel self conscious but she refused to let it disturb her. The focus the task required took all her concentration and it wasn't long before she forgot the water stinging the grazes on her ankle and the wind blowing her hair into her eyes, poising herself like a spring ready to uncoil. Once, she almost had one, feeling the flick of a tail against the thrust of her spear in a desperate struggle to escape.

It took a long time after that for Blair to spot another likely fish, they seemed to have all learned caution. She tracked one with her eyes, willing it to come closer. It obliged, it's silver scales glowing coldly below her. One purposeful thrust and she felt the give of it's flesh, pinning it against the reef until she felt the spear head cut through it. The water roiled redly but she didn't let up the pressure until she felt it's movements begin to slow.

"Dan?" She called his name without thought, not wanting to tear her eyes from the twitching fish, lest it escape. "Dan!"

He was nowhere to be seen but an answering cry came from beyond the hill and it wasn't long before she saw him appear, his feet carrying him at full pace down the slope, fruit dropping from his arms as he ran. "Blair! What's...are you ok?"

"Dan! Come look!" She gingerly lifted the spear, making sure the fish had no means of escape before slowly picking her way along the reef toward him. He crossed the beach, jogging down the slope to met her in the shallows. "I caught a fish!"

"So I see." His dark eyes regarded her with a curious mixture of amusement and admiration. A look so familiar she felt her heart skip a pace. "Blair Waldorf, you look like Artemis herself. I should have known you'd be a born huntress."

She looked down at the collection of fruit he held, not being able to help the smug smile trembling on her lips. "And you a born gatherer."

"Hey, I contest that there is any shame in being the gatherer. Although I dropped half of it as I ran back here after your screech."

"Well, we don't need them anymore." She thrust the fish at him. "Can we eat it?"

"I guess so, it looks like any other fish." He took hold of the spear. "Hold it still, I'll get it off. Wow, Blair, I really can't believe you caught this. It must weigh at least 2 pounds."

"My charm must have made it just leap onto the end."

"Now, who was it talking about making fish commit suicide before?"

"Watch it, Humphrey, I still have the spear and clearly know how to use it." She waved it under his nose. "Unlike some."

He walked up to the outcrop that become their kitchen of sorts and washed a flat part of the rock of any grit, using seawater from the small pool that lay before it. A flat shell served to remove the scales, the small flakes scattering as Dan worked the skin. Blair watched closely, fascinated by the process. "Have you done that before?"

"A couple of times as a kid, on summer camp. My parents weren't really the fishing type."

"Nor mine."

He looked up at her, brows arching with mock disbelief. "You don't say."

The process of cleaning it wasn't as revolting as Blair had supposed. He used the tip of the spear to thrust into the fish's abdomen, making a jagged slash, and washed the guts and the remaining scales off the skin in the water of the rock pool. "I guess it's lunch time." He thrust the fish toward her. "Do you want to do the honours."

Blair shuddered and thrust her hands behind her back. It was one thing catching it, but handling it was another thing altogether. "I think I'll allow you that privilege, Humphrey."

"The pleasure would be all mine."

She followed Dan to the camp fire that still smouldered. He moved the pot off the coals and brushed off the surface of the flat stone it had rested on. The fish cooked quickly, the skin curling and blackening in the heat and she watched anxiously as Dan checked to see if it had cooked through. He passed her a portion on a banana leaf and not even the inescapable flecks of grit between her teeth could taint the pleasure of eating the sticky flesh. The knowledge that she had caught it herself gave an indescribable savour to every mouthful.

The bones picked clean, Dan groaned and lay back on the sand. "Oh...words fail me. I don't think I've ever enjoyed eating anything as much as that." He wiped his hands in the sand and stood up. "Now a swim. Are you coming?"

"I don't think so." She stood up though, planning to rinse her hands of the fishy remnants of their meal.

He was already waist deep, plunging through the water, the spray catching the sunlight. "Blair, come out will you? It's beautiful."

"No way, shark bait."

"The tide's out and the reef is too low for sharks to get in anyway. It's just you and me and the fish."

"Sharks are fish."

"You know what I mean. Come on, Blair, it's perfect." He splashed at her. "And don't tell me it'll ruin your hair, because seriously I hope I'm around when you finally see a mirror."

Blair screwed her face up at him but didn't answer, walking further into the shallows instead. She generally didn't swim, hating how the water plastered her hair to her head and the way men would always look at Serena in her bikini. But the tropical water around her calves was refreshing and, although she wouldn't admit it to Dan, it looked more than inviting. "Fine, no more splashing though. The rain finally washed all the salt from my hair and despite your rudeness, I still know it looks better than yours."

She slipped off her dress, leaving it above the tide line, and walked back into the water until her feet couldn't touch the sand and she had to swim. Dan had gone toward the deeper water, duck diving down and then reemerging to grin back at her, before disappearing again. Despite her words, she couldn't stop herself swimming further out and putting her head under to see what he was doing. The salt water stung her eyes a little, but the clarity was astonishing. The reef held countless types of fish, as bright as the vivid coral. They swarmed around her, nipping at her toes so they tickled, the kicking of her legs making them swirl away and then back again when she stilled. Dan swam below her, down to the reef itself, picking his way along to see the coral more closely. She didn't feel quite comfortable enough to dive down herself, but she couldn't draw her eyes from the sight of his lean body moving so fluidly through the water.

He surfaced beside her. "There's a turtle, come on. You have to see." Blair couldn't help but respond to the excited look he gave her as he dove under again and so this time she joined him. The water was deeper than she thought and a momentary panic nearly drove her back to the shore. Dan's fingers taking her own, as he drew her attention to the sea turtle, made it subside though and she found herself enjoying the experience more than she thought possible.

The turtle was unconcerned by their presence, the grace of it's movements belying the awkwardness of its body. Dan's eyes met hers in wonder as they kept pace with it. They couldn't stay long though, the need to breath forcing them both back to the surface.

Blair spluttered as her head emerged. "We are not eating the turtle, I don't care if I have to eat coconut for the rest of my life."

Dan shook his head. "I confess I thought about it too. It would be so easy to catch. But no, I couldn't eat it either." He dove below again, though she didn't follow him this time, laying back in the water, letting the buoyancy support her as she drifted.

It wasn't long before he swam back up beside her again. "I wish I had goggles, the fish are amazing."

"That's all you'd wish for right now, seriously?"

Dan threw his head back and laughed, dipping below the water once more before answering. "Yes, it is actually all I want right now. Later I'm sure I could think of something else, but right now, I'm fairly content."

"You're actually enjoying this."

"What do you mean?"

"All of this, it's like your own boys own adventure story."

"Not quite boy's own. More like 'Lady of the Flies' with you here. But yes, life could be worse." He lay back, allowing the water to support him, hands sculling lazily to keep him afloat, smiling over at her. "If you could have anything right now, what would you choose? Besides a boat, that's a given."

Blair thought for a moment. "That's easy. Dorota. And my La Mer suncream and sunglasses. And a sourdough baguette smothered with French butter."

Dan groaned. "Enough with the carb porn, Waldorf." He screwed his eyes shut as she splashed water into his face. "Ok...ok...I would give my right arm for my fathers waffles, with double cream and syrup and blueberries. And orange juice."

Blair bit her lip. Though she'd never admit it, Rufus did make the best waffles and she could recall many a time she had had to restrain herself to the half serve she only ever allowed herself. "And cheese, ripe double brie oozing over the plate...and pasta, with pesto and so much parmigiano you can't see the plate."

"Oh god, and a double chocolate, malted thick shake."

"Mmmmm, and fries, a whole bowlful of fries, covered in salt."

Dan shook his head solemnly. "Ok, Waldorf, you are going down. You can't say the f word and not pay the consequences. Until you said that I had forgotten the existence of potatoes and now I can't think of anything else." Dan disappeared below the water and Blair began to kick her legs wildly, trying to avoid his touch. She could feel his hand brush against her foot but he had to come up for air before he could get a firm grip.

As soon as his head appeared, she continued. "And baked potatoes, smothered with creme fraiche and chives. Potato gratin, swimming in garlic cream. And mash with..." Dan ducked below the water again, too quick for her this time. She felt his fingers slide around her ankle, pulling her down as she squealed. They grappled under water for a moment until Blair got a good grip on Dan's hair, tugging until he let go of her. She swam towards the shore, stopping when her feet could touch the sand and she could regain her breath. He surfaced alongside her, rubbing the water from his eyes. "Still want those goggles most of all?"

He smiled, his eyes stilling as he looked over at her, breath coming fast. "No...I guess I don't." His teeth traced over his lip. "You win, fries would come second on my most wanted list right now."

"Besides the givens."

His lips quirked as he looked down. "Besides the givens." He held up his fingers. "I'm turning into a prune. Shall we adjourn to the terrace, Lady Fly?"

"Not funny in the slightest, Humphrey. The literary allusions are getting old." She placed her hands on her hips. "You should stop before I start calling you Wilson."

He stopped, turning back toward her with an arrested smile. "Yeah, but Wilson never spoke back. Unless you're imagining me here. And really, Waldorf, how fucked up would that be?"

Blair choked, half wanting to slap him, half ready to laugh. In the end she did both, but he was too quick for her to get in more than a glancing blow as he ran away from her toward the shade near their shelter.

Rather than join him immediately, Blair walked across the beach to collect more palm fronds with which to continue making her hat. By the time she had returned Dan had already cracked open another coconut, laying the white flesh on a large stone and using.a smaller stone to break it into pieces. She watched him, knowing by the way he kept meeting her eyes, he was begging to be asked what he was doing. It was difficult to resist the temptation to succumb but she kept her quivering mouth tightly closed as she bent her head back over her hat.

It surprised Blair how absorbing she found the task. Creativity had never been something she pursued, she was made to critique, to question, not make herself vulnerable to the opinion of all. But it was only herself here, Dan's presence not troubling her fear of falling short. It was a novel perspective. Once she had only seen the utility of people but there was a satisfaction in recognising the usefulness and value of things.

When Dan tore a square of fabric from the back of his shirt, wetting it and piling the ground coconut inside, she couldn't restrain herself any longer. "What are you doing, Humphrey?"

"Making coconut oil." He spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh." His raised eyebrow left her bemused, but he didn't say anything more so she didn't question him further. Instead she watched his actions closely as he squeezed the cloth, releasing a viscous creamy fluid into a coconut shell. "How do you even know how to do that?"

"If you must know, it was Vanessa. She was got into the raw food diet in college."

"Well that figures." Blair could have added number of further comments but she knew by the twist of Dan's mouth that he understood the direction of her thoughts.

"It only lasted three weeks, but it made eating out pretty tedious."

"That wasn't the food, Humphrey. That was the company." She turned her head back to the braid in her hands. The work was roughening the skin of her fingers so much that she knew there wasn't a manicurist in the world that could repair the damage. She was going to have to book into a spa for at least a month before she'd be able to go out in public again. And that was only after they had finally got off the island, which by their current circumstances could be never.

Dan nudged her shoulder to gain her attention, holding the shell containing the coconut cream out to her. She looked down at it with distaste. "I don't know why you're giving me that. Cooking is clearly your area."

"It's for your skin. I can't really get it cold enough to set the oil on top but it should still work."

Blair narrowed her eyes. "Are you saying I look haggard, Humphrey. Because believe me, if we were having an island beauty pageant, you would be last."

Dan chuckled. "That's self evident. But your nose is starting to peel...and I thought this might help."

She reached up to pat her nose, feeling the dry flaky skin. "Give me that." The creamy liquid was a bit watery but she could feel the effect almost immediately. Although it was gritty, the coconut oil spread over her face, giving instant relief to her dry skin. "Thank you, I guess, although it's really quite revolting. I feel like a coconut Hershey bar."

"Mmmmm...Hershey bars. I forgot about chocolate."

"Don't start that again, Humphrey." She tugged her dress off so she could rub the oil over her arms and legs, standing so the sand couldn't stick to her skin. Dan leaned back, shading his dark eyes as he looked up at her. "There's not going to be any of this left for you, you do realise. So don't look at me so hopefully."

"That's ok. I made it for you." Dan stood up abruptly, startling her a little with the urgency of his movements when he'd been so mellow only moments before. "It's going to be dark soon, I'm going to get more wood."

"Wait, I'll come."

"No, it's ok. I can manage." He didn't look back at her as he spoke, only walking purposefully away. She would have to run to catch up with him, so instead she picked up her half finished hat and walked slowly back to their camp with it.

The fruit collected earlier would be ample for their supper so she sat down by the camp fire, feeling at a loss. The sun was just beginning to set, covering the clouds in a gorgeous palette of golds and pinks. She hoped Dan would return quickly so she had someone to watch it with. He didn't though and she felt disappointment that he wasn't beside her when it finally slipped below the horizon.

It was almost fully dark when he returned, laden with an armload of wood. "What took you so long?"

"Never you mind, Waldorf. Have you started dinner?"

"What do you think?"

"Predictable as always. Can you put more wood on the fire so I can start then?"

She obliged him and the meal came together quickly, though she wished they had another fish, at least the plantains were edible.

Each night before that, Dan had gone to bed almost immediately after they had eaten but tonight he lingered. They lazed in the sand beside the fire, snacking on fruit as they talked casually, skirting around their friends and their work, not even touching on New York. She had forgotten how pleasurable simple conversation could be, not laden down with absolutes and imperatives. And even more, sitting in quiet companionship, the silence between them like a friend.

She raised her eyes to his when he spoke again. "You seem happy."

"Why would I be happy?"

"I don't know, you had a smile on your face and in most people means contentment. But maybe you were smirking, which instead makes me worry what you're planning."

"Don't you wish you knew." She stood up, brushing the sand from her legs. "I'm going to bed. You don't know how much I want a toothbrush right now."

Dan ran his tongue over his teeth. "Hmmmm...that would be nice." He rolled over and pushed himself to his feet beside her. "Wait a minute. I have an idea."

"Dan, there's no such thing as a toothbrush tree."

He smiled back at her but didn't reply, just disappearing up the beach. Blair hovered, peering into the darkness to try to see what he was doing. The moon was bright enough, but the light of the fire made it difficult to adjust her eyes making it impossible to see where he was.

He returned quickly, passing her a green stick he had broken off a shrub, splitting the end so it made a kind of brush. "They were out of mint flavour. It's the best I can do at short notice."

Blair watched him use his own stick on his teeth before repeating the movements herself. It certainly wasn't as efficient as her own electric toothbrush but it still worked to freshen her mouth. Her teeth felt smooth for the first time in days when she finally flicked the stick to the fire and gave into her thoughts of bed.

He followed her to the shelter when he finished, nudging her as he lay down on his back beside her. "We should move up the hill tomorrow. I guess today got away from us."

"You guess. If you didn't spend half the day pretending to be Aqua-man, we could have easily done it."

"It's not going anywhere."

"Yeah, and neither are we." She could see the white of his eyes as he looked up at the roof of the shelter, his lips moving silently. "And don't roll your eyes at me."

"I wasn't rolling my eyes, I was praying for deliverance."

"It will take more than prayers for that."

"Don't disillusion me, Waldorf. It's all I got."

"I'll say." When he didn't reply, only rolling onto his side so she couldn't see his face, she felt a pang of abandonment. He never used to sleep like that. When they had spent those months together, all those years before, whenever they shared the same bed he had always slept toward her, cradling his body around hers. She had found it almost suffocating then, but she missed it now, wanting him to face her so she could see the light of amusement in his eyes and feel the warm strength of his arms. She told herself that any eyes and arms would do, anyone would crave comfort after what she'd been through, but Dan's were the ones she kept thinking of. And that they weren't Chuck's. In fact it was with shock that she realised that she hadn't thought of him once for the entire day.

Dan's breathing had slowed and she thought he'd fallen asleep when he spoke again. "You smell like coconuts."

"I know, it's repellent."

"I wouldn't call it that." He turned toward her, and even though she had just been wishing that he would do just that, he was suddenly overwhelming. Lying so familiarly before her, a lazy smile curling dimly in his eyes. "It's nice. I'm not completely tired of coconut just yet."

"Well, I probably taste nice too then." She felt her face flush, hoping he couldn't see it in the dark, not realising how provocative her words were until they had left her mouth.

Dan's sleepy look vanished, replaced by something far more focussed. "I bet you do." She couldn't deny the rush of warmth through her limbs, her body almost willing him nearer. He didn't come closer though, his eyes flicking over her face instead, his teeth at his lower lip. "You always did."

He did move then, raising his hand to her chin. With every breath she thought he would lean forward and kiss her but instead he traced his fingers over her cheek, pushing her hair back behind her ear. It was as though her very soul stilled with the anticipation of his lips upon hers.

They didn't come though. He sat up instead and the disappointment that coursed though her chest made her breath grow ragged. "God help me. I can't do this again, Blair."

Before she could think of a reply, he was gone. She could hear his footsteps padding away from the shelter in the sand, wondering where he was going, the desire to stop him itching at her. But she forced herself to lay still, listening to the rapid pace of her heartbeat. Willing herself to go to sleep and not follow him outside to tell him he was the biggest fool to have ever walked the earth.


	5. Chapter 5

**Lots of smut in this (penultimate) chapter, as a pre warning. Let me know if I got a little carried away. Of course it's a given that desert island = hot sex, and I sincerely hope this works for you, very dearest readers.**

**Thank you for the reviews, you guys absolutely make my day. And I'm so glad that you're enjoying reading this because I have been loving writing it.**

* * *

Dan lay silently upon waking alone in the shelter, listening to the sounds outside, wondering if Blair was nearby. Wanting to go and find her immediately to see if she would still kiss him. He'd even welcome a slap in place of cold indifference.

Desire is a treacherous thing and Dan had found himself treading warily, fearful of losing himself to it's boundaries. The previous day had been a torment. She had been as sharp and as responsive as the Blair of old, far distant from the uptight creature he had met on the boat. The roguish glow in her eye, her constant and all too effective contact, keeping him in a simmering state of want.

It had taken his every shred of doubt not to cross the short distance between them and kiss her. Her lips parted in invitation, liquid dark eyes so lovely he felt himself slipping. Regret stung him as he had left her, wishing that she'd follow and show him the exact folly of his decision. But even as he listened for her footsteps, he knew he wouldn't hear them. Instead he had walked for much of the night, his eyes watchful over the water. Once or twice he had seen a light, far distant on the horizon, but a lack of any material at hand to make a signal made it impossible to attract attention. It made him resolve to light a fire on top of the island the following night, hoping that one of the passing ships would realise their distress and send help.

Blair was asleep when he finally returned, her soft snore telling him she wasn't pretending. He had clambered in beside her, finally exhausted enough to fall asleep without further thought.

No noise betrayed her whereabouts so Dan crawled from the shelter, peering about the beach to locate her. The bay was deserted so he called her name, a pang of anxiety getting the better of him when she didn't respond. He jogged up the slope of the hill, still calling for her, to see if she were at the top but that was empty as well. It was only when he looked out over the bay again that he saw her, far out where the waves broke over the reef, her slight figure tense.

The rush of annoyance replaced the worry as he made his way around the reef to where she stood. "Blair?" She finally looked up, her expression unreadable. "Didn't you hear me calling out?"

"No, the waves are too loud. You're breaking my concentration."

"I kind of wish that you wouldn't go out so far without me knowing. What if something happened to you?"

"You did exactly the same thing yesterday."

"That's different."

"It's not so different."

Dan bit his lip before replying, knowing how easy it would be to get caught swinging in a pendulum of accusation. "Can you at least tell me next time? So I won't worry?"

"I suppose." Her answer was sullen and as much as he wished it, she wouldn't look up at him again. His heart sank, all their progress from the day before seemed to be at an end, and he'd by far prefer to be dealing with confusion of a kiss over the distance now between them.

As he stood watching her, her movements grew agitated, the poised calm of her stance lost. "Haven't you got something better to do?"

"No." He was sure she was going to suggest something but she didn't reply, only glaring at the water at her feet. "Can I have a turn? You can't be responsible for all the fish."

"I have been so far."

"Come on, Blair. Let me try to win back some of my manly integrity?" There it was. The quirk of her lip was fleeting but he caught it nonetheless.

"It'll take more than a fish to do that." Despite her words, she thrust the spear into his hands. "Fine, I'm thirsty anyway. Don't come back until you have something."

Dan watched her as she carefully picked her way back over the reef, telling himself it was for her safety and not for the long exposed sweep of her thighs below her hitched up dress. She disappeared from sight when she reached the shore and he lowered his eyes to consider the fishing spot she had chosen. It was deeper than the location of the day before and as such, there seemed to be larger fish. He had to salute her instincts.

It was difficult to find a rhythm and again and again Dan would misjudge timing the thrust of the spear, frightening the fish and coming up empty handed. He forced himself to still his thoughts and concentrate, focussing all his attention, almost as he did when he was struggling with a particularly evasive sentence.

A larger fish than he had seen before browsed it's way across the weed swaying on the reef. He held his breath and thrust the spear savagely. Once more it didn't fall true and he lifted the spear to see the entire shard of glass had worked itself free, the strip of fabric having become loose. "Fuck it."

Dan peered into the water, looking for the glint of glass. It was vital to find it, nothing else remained long enough to spear anything but the smallest fish. He shed his hat, leaving it on the exposed rocks above the water line and dove in, propelling himself over the coral. He finally saw it resting on some weed but it was deeper than he had reckoned so he had to return to the surface for more breath before he could reach it.

He submerged himself again, trying to head directly to the spot. As he reached it, movement on the reef beside it drew his attention. A vividly coloured lobster sat waving it's long antenna, completely unaware of his presence. Dan lunged at it, trying to get close enough to grab it before it could escape.

The creature swept backwards as his fingers touched it so, instead of its back, he only managed to grab the horns. They bit painfully into his fingers, but he held it still until he could reach with his other hand, not letting go until he knew he had a firm grip below it's head. By then he chest was burning with the desire to breathe and he made his way to the surface, clutching the lobster to his chest.

Before he could even take full breath, he was submerged by a furious flurry of water. Arms gripped his neck and the inability to free his hands made him go under again. The lobster, struggled violently, recognising it's opportunity to escape and it was all Dan could do to hold onto it. "Jesus, Blair...was that entirely necessary."

Blair didn't loosen her grip though and Dan had to kick his legs furiously to keep himself afloat, the lobster scratching painfully at his chest. "I thought you'd drowned...and I don't know CPR...and I tripped over on the reef and tore my dress. You were under for more than two minutes...I counted...if you died..." Her words trailed off in a sob.

"Hey...hey...it's ok. I'm fine... Despite your every effort to finish me off." Dan managed to free a hand and used it to propel them toward the edge of the reef, his feet finally finding a solid surface to stand on. Blair still clung to his shoulders and he put his arm around her waist trying to hold her against his side. He couldn't not appreciate her unexpected proximity but it was impossible to embrace her properly while clutching a very alive, very angry crustacean.

She raised her head and instantly recoiled at the creature she was nestled beside. "What the hell is that?"

"Don't tell me you've never seen a lobster. I thought you dined on these three times a day."

She paused, the concern leaving her eyes as they narrowed. "I've eaten them, yes. But I've never embraced one before. I'm sorry if I interrupted your little romance."

Dan used his free hand to finally grip the crustacean securely around the thorax, holding it firmly before him. "I don't usually conduct my romances with such deadly intent. I must be learning."

He waited for her comeback but instead she moved closer looking intently at his chest. "Dan, that looks nasty."

He looked down at the ugly scratches below his neck. "What's another scratch when we have dinner. Can you get me something to wrap this with so I can make it back to shore? I can't let go of it."

He could hardly believe it when she wordlessly slipped her dress off and held it out so he could roll the lobster up into it. They made their way to shore, Dan swimming with an awkward sidestroke with the trapped lobster under his arm. "Should we cook this now. Are you hungry?"

Blair shook her head, looking up at him under her dark lashes. "Not right now."

Dan gingerly unwrapped the lobster and passed her dress to her and she took it between her fingers, walking into the water to rinse it out. He instead wrapped the lobster in a banana leaf, securing it firmly with a strip of fabric, feeling mean, though he'd seen the same thing done in countless restaurants. It was the best way to keep it from spoiling; if he killed it, the heat would be bound to ruin it before they got to dinner time. He tipped the fresh water that remained in the cast iron pot into the empty coconut shells and filled it with seawater. The lobster was large but he managed to finally wedge it inside, leaving it in the shade by their shelter.

Dan looked it the sky, judging it to be close to midday by the position of the sun. Though he knew they should relocate their shelter to the top of the island and collect more wood for signal fires, it was too hot to work and too humid to lie still. He instead snacked on some fruit as he sat in the shade, watching Blair. She had already swum back out to the middle of the lagoon, lying on her back and drifting with the gentle ripples across the water.

The temptation was too acute to be denied so he slipped soundlessly into the water, making his way slowly toward her. When he gauged that he'd be able to swim the distance between them underwater, he submerged his head and swam until he was directly below her. He rocketed up and grasped her legs, pulling her under before letting go and surfacing beside her.

"You shit. You frightened the life out of me. I thought I'd been taken by a shark." Blair hit out at him, splashing water into his face repeatedly. He slipped back under the water, grabbing at her feet, but this time she was prepared and she kicked her legs wildly as she swam toward the shore.

As he approached, he lost sight of her and before he could spot her again, she had lunged at his side in a guerrilla attack, holding him under until he was sure he had swallowed at least a gallon of water. The minute she let go, he found a breath and then sprang at her in retaliation.

She came up spluttering, and charged at him before he could get away, her arms slipping about his back as he dived. He tried to struggle out of her grip but she tangled her legs with his so he couldn't pull away. Dan let her have her way until the urge to breath made him break her hold, trapping her arms around him so she couldn't retaliate. "Truce."

Her breath was coming hard against his neck and her grip loosened, so he let himself relax for a moment. "Truce." The moment he released her, she braced her hands around his shoulders and pushed him forward, so he went down once more. By the time he reemerged, she was standing waist deep in the water near the shore, her laughter echoing around the bay. "Sucker."

"You treaty breaker, Waldorf. Just you wait, revenge is dish best served...wet!" He lunged forward as she squealed and tried to swim away but he just managed to grab her ankles and pull her towards him. Once he had her by the hips, she twisted in his arms and gripped his hair, submerging his head again as they went down together.

They both came up panting. Dan was no longer sure whether they were play fighting or just trying to get as physically close as possible to each other. He froze when he realised how closely he held her, arms almost entirely wrapped around her, feeling each intimate curve against his torso. Every part of his body responding to hers. He loosened his grip, letting his hands rest lightly on her hips, feeling the sharp angle of the bones against his palms. Half holding her close, half keeping her at arms length. "Blair..."

She raised one finger to his lips, stilling the words before sliding her hand to his neck and leaning into his ear. "Don't say it...I need to be close to someone. And I know you do too."

Dan's breath caught against her cheek, but only for the moment it took for her lips to turn to his, the tension between them becoming much more personal. His fingers slid to her thighs, following them as they folded around his hips, before tracing up her exposed back, the sun warm skin giving beneath his fingers.

Her lips were salty beneath his, opening to let his tongue sweep over her teeth, her breath against his mouth as desperate as his own. Arms twining around his neck and gripping his hair in a move so familiar that he moved a hand down to press her closer.

Blair dropped her head back as his lips found her collarbone, following it to the strap of her bathers, his fingers tugging it down her arm as he kissed a path from her neck. Supporting her with his arms and feeling the grip of her legs around his hips. He couldn't stop his pelvis pressing further against hers, the thin fabric of her bathing suit letting her feel exactly how much he wanted her. He returned his attention to her swimsuit straps, finally getting them over her arms completely to expose the expanse of her chest and stomach. She seemed a little conscious of the tan line that swept darkly above her breasts but he pushed her hands out of the way and kissed the spot, tasting the faint traces of coconut, working his way down to her nipple, his lips shaping words around it. "My own piebald princess."

She choked and pushed him away. "I've been likened to a horse enough times in my life, Humphrey."

He dropped back into the water, looking at her with what he hoped was appeal and not just unbridled lust. "If I say I'm sorry, will you come back? It's cold and frightening over here by myself."

Dan watched mesmerised as she slipped her swimsuit the rest of the way down her legs, looking back at him provocatively before tossing it towards the sand and turning, her brow raised in invitation. "You'll have to catch me first."

He lunged for her, but she was too quick, hitting out toward the deeper water, just out of his grasp. It turned to a game of touch as he tried to grab any part of her and pull her close while she tried to stay just out of reach. She finally let him catch her and kiss her, paralysing him as she slid her hands down his stomach to hook her fingers into his trunks, pulling them down the rest of the way with her feet. She slipped out of his grasp and swam into deeper water, grinning with triumph as she held them above her head.

"Don't lose those. What am I meant to swim in?"

"The way nature intended."

"That's piracy, Waldorf." She threw a glance at him, so coy that the laughter stilled on lips and he broke into a freestyle trying to reach her. Before he could, she threw the trunks back over her head and bobbed over into the water, flashing a cheeky grin and her bared bottom at him.

She came up between his legs, fingers trailing up his thighs until they wrapped around his erection, stopping him dead in his tracks. "Ahoy, here's a likely ship for boarding."

Dan let out a chuckle-groan and closed his mouth over hers, legs tangling as they plunged below the surface again, sharing one breath as they clung together. He opened his eyes to find hers already peering back at him, her hair a halo around her head in the clear depths, his hands sliding over her cool slippery skin.

The kiss became serious when they emerged. Dan could hardly get breath, unable to tear his mouth from hers. She wrapped her thighs around his stomach as he finally managed to keep them afloat by treading water. Though it was all at a loss when she dropped her hips down against him and they both went under again.

"Come with me." She nodded, too breathless to speak and let him draw her along in the water. He stopped when it just reached his chest, taking her hips in his hands and lifting her so she could wrap her legs back around him, her face level with his own.

Dan took her shoulders, pulling her back to rest on his hands. "I need to check if you taste like coconut everywhere." A rosy flush crept up her cheeks but she lay back without comment, keeping her eyes firmly fixed on his as traced his tongue down a rivulet of water to her breast, toying with her nipple.

"Mmmm...coconut." Her lips parted further as he kissed down her belly, bending his knees and lifting her hips higher as he went. She lay back more fully, allowing him to slip her knees over his shoulders and lick the inside of her thigh before looking up to find her eyes still fixed on him. "Definitely coconut."

Blair moaned and dipped her head back into the water, opening her thighs brazenly before him. He took the opportunity immediately, letting his tongue slide between her legs, the firm point finding her clitoris. She tasted like the depths of the sea. Dan opened his mouth, drawing her further in as she squirmed in his hands, getting a lungful of water as her head went under. He loosened his grip on her hips and slid one hand up her back to support her, the other finding it's way to join his mouth. When he slipped two fingers inside her, she arched against his arm, pulling him so close with her calves he could scarcely breath. The panting sighs she gave furthering his effort, knowing that she was almost undone to be making such noise.

They both went under as he felt her stiffen and quiver beneath his hands, the water washing over their heads as his knees gave out. Blair slid her knees down to his waist as they surfaced. He took a breath more like a groan as he felt the warm slick slide of her against his cock. As hot as her breath as his lips found hers.

He almost slipped inside of her, so lost in the sensation of her skin under his hands, before he took her hips, halting her movements. "Blair, I don't..."

She silenced him with her mouth, kissing him until he gave up trying to speak. "Relax, I'm safe...unless you have a sordid little secret to tell me, everything is good."

Dan shook his head, he knew he was clean, the wild past of his last girlfriend made him get tested twice after they had broken up.

She lowered her mouth to his neck, kissing a path along his jaw until she reached his ear. "So what are you waiting for?"

He moved his lips to reply but she had already locked her mouth over his, sinking onto him in a movement so swift it left him speechless. He staggered back into deeper water, the buoyancy making it easier to hold her weight as he bucked up into her, kissing her deeply as they found a rhythm. She pulled away after a moment, running her hands from where they lay at his hips, up his chest to rest on his neck, her thumbs sliding over his chin to his mouth.

Dan blinked slowly, unable to look away as he met Blair's eyes. Almost feeling like he was dreaming, the vision she made was so extraordinary, so much like a dream, he couldn't break her gaze even as they moved together. The bright sun above them, no inhibition or consciousness shadowing their connection. Her breaths becoming throatier as she ground herself against him.

And when she leaned back, sliding her hand from his neck down to the juncture of their thighs, she was most glorious thing he had ever seen. Still meeting his eyes so candidly, letting him see all her desire. He lifted her knees so he could penetrate her more deeply, watching her wet hand slide into the black curls, her mouth contorting as she rotated her fingers in time with his thrusts.

It all quickly became overwhelming, his senses colliding, leaving him with little sense of control. With each thrust her breath grew more erratic and she leaned into him, hands twisting into his hair, thighs holding him impossibly close. Her strangled cry echoing across the beach and back to his ears, amplifying his own response. Fingers pressing into her buttocks as she trembled around him, taking him so deep he thought he was lost. He could only plunge into her again and again, letting the sight of Blair's abandonment, and the feel of all her velvet secrets, take him to a golden point so piercing he didn't know if it were possible to return.

Blair stilled against him, her lips seeking his and he let his legs give way, withdrawing from her as the sparks of pleasure still lingered in his body. Dan slid an arm under her knees and another around her waist so he could cradle her against his chest as he found his feet. He wrapped his arms more securely around her to carry her from the water and up the beach, not wanting to break the spell by speaking and by the the way Blair clung to his neck, her chest heaving against his, he knew she was speechless as he was.

When he let her down at the entrance of the shelter, he had to hold her until her trembling legs could support her and they crawled inside, wet skin still sliding, dropping lazy kisses wherever they could reach.

Dan wasn't aware how long he'd dozed for but he could see the sun was still bright outside when he awoke. Blair lay curled toward him, her face nearly touching his, so close that he could see how the sun bleached tips of her dark lashes lay against her cheek.

Something clenched in his chest as he looked at her. He'd be a fool if he let this particular girl break his heart twice. Twice bitten and all. But it was all well and good to have the thought, it was an impossibility for him to stop it. Not when the woman before him wasn't a Blair he'd ever met. All of her intrigue and keenness with an added charm and wonder that he couldn't not respond to.

Her eyes flickered open, catching his, words coming sleepily. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like you've never seen me before."

"I don't know that I really have." He captured her wandering hand, retaining it between his own. "Blair, I didn't walk away from you last night because I didn't want you, you have to know that."

"I knew it, and I know you know that I wanted you too. I thought you'd gone insane when you said you couldn't do it."

"I think I was."

She blinked slowly. "But clearly you can do it again, by your recent performance. It's just sex."

Dan struggled to respond, he wasn't sure if she was wilfully misunderstanding him or whether she really considered it just sex. If she thought that was all they had experienced, then one of them was deluded and he wasn't sure that it was him. "It...it complicates things, as if they aren't already complex enough."

"It's not complex at all. It's a story told in hundreds of romance novels. Man rescues woman, woman rewards man with sex."

Dan choked. "Is that what you were doing."

She moved in closer to him, leaving him almost helpless by her provocative purr and the hand sliding down his chest. "You see, Humphrey, I don't know how it is, but somehow you managed to become more attractive in the years since I've seen you and, being the only nice thing to look at on this island, at least until I lay my hands on a mirror, I find myself wanting to touch you as well."

"You are outrageous. You can't flirt your way out of this conversation." He didn't pull away though, his treacherous body betraying him as her fingers slid lower.

"We'll see about that." Blair shuffled in so that their bodies were almost touching. "Right now, I might be the last woman you ever see again and if you deny that while I'm still young and comely then you're a fool. The tropical sun is a bitch you know." She bit her lip and leaned further into his neck as he tried to suppress his laugh, her voice dropping suggestively. "And, right now, this is just a desert island, but I know a way we can make it paradise."

He rolled over then, bracing himself above her, her eyes wide and guileless beneath his. "That is somehow the most cheesy, and yet the sexiest thing anyone has ever said to me."

"And you're a man so you fell for it." She leaned her head back, hands sliding up to his cheeks, her dancing pupils stilling. "Don't make me talk about what this means, Dan. I can't talk about the future right now, I don't even know when I'll get it back. All we have here is the present. And I think you'd be wiser spending it by making me more coconut oil." She lifted her chin until her lips were almost touching his. "Because then I might let you anoint me with it."

Dan slid his hand up to her neck to press her closer, her mouth opening beneath his. It took a while before he could pull away to speak. "You are the most bewitching little temptress the devil ever spawned." He kissed her again, unable to resist the curl of her lip. "I guess this is my cue to fall at your feet in abject devotion. Subject to servicing your every whim, as you rule over your tiny little municipality."

One of her legs slipped over his, her foot running down the back of his calf. "How quickly you learn."

Dan took a shuddering breath and forced himself to roll over onto his back. "And I would like to do nothing more, Waldorf, but before I start making idols in your image, we should move up the hill before it gets too late in the day. I don't know how long it's going to take."

Blair's voice became plaintive, the seductive tone fading. "I've changed my mind about moving up there. I'm going to wake up with a spider eating me, I know it."

"Look what you did to that fish, it won't stand a chance." She pressed her face into his shoulder and wrapped her arms over him, saying nothing. "Blair, I saw lights on the horizon when I walked around the island last night. If we're up there we can see them and make a signal with the fire."

Blair sighed deeply. "I guess."

"You want to get off this island as much as I do. I would have thought more."

"Of course I do. But there are other things I want as well. And some of them are right in front of me. There are hours before nightfall."

"Ok, Princess, or maybe Commandant would be more appropriate. How about we move the shelter and then I can make you a daybed from the leftover planks and I can bathe you in oil, away from all the inconveniences of the sand."

She rolled herself onto her elbow and looked down at him, her ruffled hair curling wildly. "I suppose I might be convinced. How sturdy will this daybed be."

"Very, very sturdy."

Blair giggled and, by what means he wasn't sure, restrained herself from complaining as he curled up from where he lay and crawled from the shelter, helping her to her feet as she followed him.

She gave her hips a provocative sway as she walked down the sand to where her swimsuit lay, looking back over her shoulder to make sure he was taking the vision in. "Maybe your trunks will turn up but until then I find your attire perfectly acceptable."

"That's a first." He continued watching as she walked into the water to wash the suit of sand. "I can't believe you did that, Waldorf, we need everything we have."

"Yes, but by my estimation they were the least useful thing."

She slipped her bathing suit on as Dan picked up his shorts. He hadn't worn them much, finding them uncomfortable when he was constantly getting wet. They slipped on his hips awkwardly making him realise how much the low fat diet and the exercise had affected his body. Though he was by no means overweight before, now every muscle on his belly lay in sculpted ridges and the waistband of the shorts hung unacceptably low. He rolled them up as best he could and began to pack up their meagre belongings.

Blair made it almost impossible to work though, her hand constantly snaking around his waist to trace over his stomach, more than once tugging his loose shorts down altogether. He grabbed her hand, frustrated and aroused, turning so he held her against him, dropping his head to her smirking mouth. "Waldorf, you know I'd be more than happy to do all the work while you just stand around and admire me. But the chances are that I'll be far too exhausted by the end of it all to do anything but collapse in a heap. Are you willing to risk that?"

She chewed on her lip. "I don't believe that's possible by any means. I have my ways after all. But I suppose if I help, it'll all happen faster."

They struck camp with more ease than he had supposed, the roof panels of the old shelter were easily transportable. It was only necessary to untie them from the trunk of the coconut tree.

The shelter they built on top of the hill was more stable than the old one. By lashing some timber from the foundations of the shanty together and using the last of Dan's shirt, they made a stable triangular structure the same length as the old shelter but broader in width. Dan wedged the legs into the soft sand as Blair worked at laying the old roof over the sides, supplementing it with more layers of palm fronds until both sides were covered in a dense layer.

There were plenty of large rocks laying about the site, the sooty black stains revealing their previous use. Dan dragged them to the highest point of the hill, affording the greatest view of the surrounding horizon. Trees still obscured the south but he could see clearly to the northwest, where he had seen the lights the night before. After piling it high with the old debris from the shack and dry kindling from the surrounding shrubs, he built a smaller cooking fire beside it, lighting it in preparation for the evening.

It was simple to lay down two beams and the last remaining planks to make a raised base for the daybed, just wide enough for them both to recline on. Blair involved herself by choosing exactly which foliage would serve to make the softest bedding and determining how many layers of it would be necessary. She refused to help him collect it though, but when he returned, arms laden with branches, he saw she had created a makeshift kitchen on a rock near the shelter. The coconut shells containing their water and the cast iron pot sat in the shade, fresh banana leaves keeping insects at bay. Two coconuts and the scrap of fabric lay hopefully positioned next to the husk he had collected the oil in.

She came up behind him while his arms were still laden, the sweep of her hands over his chest and stomach making everything tumble from his hands as he turned to her. He leaned down to kiss her but she averted her head so it landed on her cheek. "The sun is going to set soon. I'll finish this if you attend to the most important part of the equation."

Blair lounged on the bed when she finished, her skin almost radiant in the golden afternoon light. The slow smile that kept crossing her lips as she watched him spurred Dan to a faster pace, paying hardly any attention to the task before him at all. He ended up peeling back her swimsuit and squeezing the creamy oil directly over her breasts, rubbing it over her shoulders and arms, down her belly and legs until she almost purred. When her tremors became too pronounced she tugged him over onto his back, tasting the coconut on his lips as she straddled him. The sunset red behind her and her exploring fingers ever roaming over his slick skin.

It was only after all their laughter had turned to moans and the stars had come out to greet them above, that they stilled, limbs entwined and sticky skin cooling in the gentle breeze.

Dan drew his face from hers, fingers lingering on her cheek. "A swim and then food, or visa versa?"

Blair blinked slowly up at him before stretching languorously and rolling off the bed. "The first option."

She picked up her swimsuit to put on but Dan snatched it from her, throwing it into the darkness. "I don't think so, Waldorf. If I have to swim naked, it's only fair that you repeat the favour."

Blair opened her mouth to protest but Dan stilled her lips with his own, sliding his fingers down her bare back as her mouth opened under his. Her hands began tugging him back toward the day bed, but he took her arms from around his neck and slipped on his shorts. "Waldorf, you are insatiable. I need to eat before I let you have your wicked way with me again." He picked up her dress and passed it to her. "Come on, I haven't been night swimming since I was a kid."

The night was dark, the moon not having risen yet so that Dan had never seen so many stars. He took a burning stick to serve as a torch and lead Blair down the slope to their own patch of beach.

The still water only just reflected the starlight but as he watched, small blue flickers appeared in the waves, only increasing as Blair walked into the water before him. "Wow, phosphorescence. I've never seen it before."

Blair cocked her eyebrow at him as she turned toward him, the glow trailing of her legs and hands as she raised them to his chest. "Actually, Humphrey, it's bioluminescence."

He arched his brow. "Thank you for that, now I know the correct nomenclature, it's even more beautiful."

"You're welcome. You probably find the word even more compelling than being here."

She looked up at him so demurely he had to drop a kiss to her face before he spoke. "Especially because it's plankton, billions of little sea creatures, swimming and eating and fucking in an endless cycle of fecundity."

Blair splashed him. "Humphrey, way to kill the mood and turn this into a science tutorial."

"I could think of worse ways to spend the day."

"I'm not plankton, Humphrey. Although being here, I'm about as useful as it."

He tangled his foot around hers as she stepped away from him, tripping her up so they fell together into the shallows. The blue glow surrounded them as he held her against his chest and moved them both to deeper water. "Here, take my shoulders and put your foot in my hands." She looked at him suspiciously. "Trust me, it's fun. Just follow my lead, ok?"

He held out his hands and she put her foot in it, holding onto his shoulders. "On the count of three, alright?"

Blair nodded, still looking apprehensive but relaxing in his arms. When he had reached the count, he flung her into the air, watching her plunge back into the water, the luminescence sparking off her limbs and flicking from her hair as she emerged.

She swam back toward him, giggling. He wasn't sure that he'd ever seen her wear an expression of such pure delight. "No one has ever done that to me before."

"Poor little rich girl."

Her hands found his shoulders. "Again? I get it now."

Dan demanded a kiss before obliging her, tossing her again and again until she tired of it, relaxing against him instead. It felt otherworldly, the trailing light following their limbs as they cavorted, illuminating the water as though they were swimming through an aurora. And with the sight of Blair before him, smiling and breathless, a blue nimbus outlining her body, it was difficult to take his eyes or his hands anywhere else.

Finally the surreal marine glow faded in the cold light of the rising moon. It hung on the horizon, the beauty of it's reflection on the water making them linger in the shallows, until hunger finally drove them back to the camp and they ran dripping up the hill to dry before the fire.

The meal came together quickly under Dan's direction, the lobster cooking by the coals in it's banana leaf, the breadfruit slowly roasting beside it. He cracked open a green coconut for them to share as Blair lit the bonfire and they sat in it's flickering light, leisurely eating, hardly needing to talk, such a mood of peace between them.

Blair stretched out beside him on the daybed when they finished, her eyelids dropping as she lay her head on his shoulder. "We should sleep out here."

Dan nodded his agreement, too exhausted to do anything but lie beside her, exchanging sleepy, salty kisses. When she fell asleep, he carefully slipped his arms out from where they lay around her, looking down on her relaxed features for a long moment before he slipped from the bed. Knowing that if he dared to lie there for any longer, Blair's warm body and her slow steady beating heart against his chest would lull him to sleep.

He kept watch by the fire, struggling to keep his eyes open as he looked out over the ocean and at the moon slowly circling the sky. Finally he saw it, the distant light flashing as it slowly moved across the horizon. He blinked at it with a heavy heart, not wanting it to be real. Not wanting the ship, or whatever it was, to pay attention to the signal fire and raise the alarm. Wanting at least one more day of her, where she belonged entirely to him. It could just be enough to win her, make her forget her past and she would stay with him.

But he forced himself to his feet, taking a large banana leaf to mask the fire for three short flashes, three long flashes, three short flashes, repeating it until the lights slowly faded and all that met his eyes again was distant blackness.


	6. Chapter 6

**I found this chapter difficult to write, which given how easily the rest of the story came, was unexpected for me (I probably deleted at least as many words as you're getting here). I guess it's due to the contrariness of Blair's POV and I very (very, very very!) much look forward to your thoughts on the result. Getting into Blair's head is difficult at the best of times, as some of my dear reviewers have pointed out. I have left some notes, as a kind of post script at the end of this story, to let you know where my head is on her. On the Blair in this story anyway.**

**A bit more porn in this chapter for your amusement - I hate writing M stories from a split POV that doesn't include sex from both perspectives, but I hope you don't find it gratuitous.**

**And last but not least, thanks to all the readers who have alerted, favourited and reviewed this. I think I speak for all writers when I say how valued and inspirational feedback can be.**

* * *

The dawn was creeping across the sky when Blair awoke. She blinked sleepily up at the grey and gold clouds above her with a sense of ease so great, she could already feel the smile curving her lips. Dan lay on his back and she was tucked into his side, her hand splayed open on his chest, her cheek resting on his shoulder.

By shifting in his arms she could just raise her head enough to watch him, his face tranquil in sleep. The delicate pink curve of his lip and the line of his cheekbones shadowed by stubble, so defined in the morning light. Blair had always insisted he was too pretty for a man but maturity had refined his features, sharpening the once rounded curves of his face. The precious sweep of his closed eyelids and his lily soft skin compelled her fingers to skim over his face, her words just a whisper. "How is it that you're so lovely?"

His only reply was a decidedly unbeautiful snort and Blair flinched away, her fear of getting caught staring at him tempered only by her amused dismay that even when he was asleep he could disarm her.

When she was sure he hadn't woken up, she leaned over him again, dropping an experimental kiss, only pulling away when she felt the almost imperceptible movement of his mouth against hers. He stirred as she slipped from him and by the time he had opened his eyes, she was standing by the coals of the fire, apparently absorbed in the sunrise.

"I feel like sleeping beauty." His voice was thick with sleep.

She took a sharp intake of breath, feeling exposed. "What are you talking about, Humphrey?"

"Being woken by a kiss, like sleeping beauty."

Blair shot a glance at him from under her lashes, trying to get her pounding heart under control. Her voice however gave no hint of her inner turmoil. "You must have been dreaming."

"I'm sure I was. You're over there aren't you?" He had rolled over onto his side, resting his head in his hand, watching her steadily. "Are you coming back?"

Blair considered continuing to tease him but really all it was doing was prolonging her own torment. The languid intensity of his eyes as they flitted up her legs to her face made something twist in her belly. Something she hadn't felt for so long she could hardly recognise what it was. "If you want me to."

"I do. Come here, don't make me beg."

The smile that accompanied his words held so much sweet entreaty, Blair found her feet moving almost of their own volition. It deepened on his lips as she approached, his arms opening to welcome her into them.

He folded them around her, nuzzling his face into her neck as he let out a deeply satisfied grunt.

"Your stubble tickles. And not in a good way."

"You're going to have to get used to it. It's only going to get worse." He smiled, winding a lock of her hair around his finger. "We both might need to get used to it. I'm looking forward to meeting hairy Blair."

Blair gasped, trying to wiggle from his arms, but his chuckle just deepened as he twisted his body, curving it over hers so she couldn't escape. "So cocksure, Humphrey."

"No, that would be you." He ground his hips up against hers. "Sure of cock."

"Dan!" She tried to push him off her, even as she giggled. "Don't be so crass!"

"Well, you told me to live in the moment. That means saying exactly what comes into my head."

Before she could give voice to the pert response on her lips his mouth pressed to hers, silencing the words there. It was only when he pulled away, revealing the unholy merriment in his eyes, that she spoke again. "You say everything that comes into your head anyway. I'm sure your verbal cortex is actually found in your tongue."

"Oh, you'd be surprised at what I don't say."

"I bet I wouldn't be."

"Ok, two days ago I didn't tell you that I wanted you more than a boat and fries. You owe me ten."

"You wanted me more than a boat with fries?"

"Well...when you put it that way. Couldn't I have a boat and fries and you altogether?"

"If you don't stop talking soon, you'll get none of the above." His mouth descended to hers again and she let her lips open to the incursion of his tongue, his persistence stilling her mind and rousing her body. The fingers tracing a path down her chest made her shiver.

"Are you cold?"

"No, just horny."

The way his lips curled up made her shiver again. "How we'll we understand each other, Waldorf. I was just trying to hit upon a way we could start the day."

Dan's body had relaxed against hers and she used the opportunity to push him onto his back, letting her knees slide to each side of his hips as she rested above him. The dress she wore had ridden up, leaving her exposed against him. She could feel the fly of his shorts pressing into her as she moved her hips to increase the friction.

She leaned forward back as his hands cradled her head, his fingers dipping behind her ears to trace a tantalising path through her hair. His mouth devouring hers as he pressed her closer. There was a desperation to Dan's tightly clenched eyes and his hands so fervently moving over her. They slid up below her dress and she pulled away to tug the garment over her head, shifting a little to allow him to lift his hips so she could slide his shorts down his thighs and discard them on the sand beside them.

He was already more than ready for her and she didn't want to waste more time in either physical or verbal foreplay. The pupils of his eyes seemed to dilate as she sank down upon in him in one long breathless action and he gripped her hips, his chin arching up in invitation. She dropped her head so her hair fell in dark coils around his face, her mouth on his once more. His hands traced a path to her waist, encouraging her voluptuous movements, her nipples puckering under the graze of his thumbs.

The muscles of his stomach rippled under her palm as he moved beneath her, every thrust drawing a gasp. She spread her knees wider, letting them sink into the bedding below them, grinding her pelvis down against his. He had that look in his eye, the one that made her feel like she might be the only woman on the planet. The only one that mattered anyway. It fed something inside of her, sparking an orgasm so shattering she felt boneless, collapsing onto his chest as his hips continued to roll under hers.

His hands slid up her back so he could flip them over, the delicious solid weight of him pressing her into the cool leaves beneath her back. Rocking against her, chest to chest, his hands entangled with hers above her head. His eyes reflecting every nuance of her ardour, all of her carefully cultivated layers dissolving.

She arched her neck again his mouth, the touch of his tongue inciting a sensation that looped through her, hardly able to get breath to speak. "Is this real?"

Dan slowed his pace, lifting his head to meet her eyes, submerged so deeply in her, she wasn't sure where she stopped and she began. "It is for me."

Blair could only kiss him then, drawing his lips back to hers, almost hiding from the tenderness of gaze. Feeling the undeniable throbs of pleasure begin to pulse through her again, his unrelenting thrusts sweeping her up in such fervour she wished to never come down.

He released her with her name gasping from his lips, his arms loosening as he rolled onto his back. Before she could mourn his distance though, he turned back to her, his hand tracing a path up her belly to her neck. "I feel like we're dwelling in some kind of Eden."

"I told you, I knew how to make this paradise. You should listen to me more."

He chuckled, nudging his chin forward so his lips could curl around hers once more, before collapsing back. When he spoke again, his voice had lost the teasing note, a sober quality taking it's place. "I saw lights again last night and tried to send a distress signal. I don't know if they saw it but there's a chance that rescue is on it's way."

Blair nodded her head slowly, unable to think of a reply. His eyes searched her face, looking for something, she didn't know what and she had to look away unable to decide what she felt. Trying to grasp at the sense of peace she had been rejoicing in, but all that remained was apprehension.

She let her hands run though his curls for once more and peeled herself from his side, feeling the chill rush of the morning air contracting her skin. Dan's hand caught hers, pulling her towards him for one more kiss. "Stay."

Her reply came more tartly than she intended. "If I'm about to be rescued I may as well go swimming again. There's no beaches in Europe like this."

"I said a chance, Waldorf, don't get too excited. The beach isn't going anywhere. Come back to bed."

"But we might be, and you may be content to sleep the day away but I have better things to do."

He lay back, looking up at the sky. "Of course. Coups to plan, peasants to subjugate. Dictatorships don't run themselves."

Blair bit her lip, trying to subdue the amusement his words always bought forth, searching for a reply that would quell him. It was no use though, he would always have a response, so instead she left him with a long backward glance, slinging her dress over her shoulder as she sashayed down the hill toward the beach. "Just so, Humphrey."

The water was almost warm in comparison to the chill in morning air, though Blair could already feel the heat of the sun intensifying on the bare skin of her back. She plunged in, swimming swiftly out to the middle of the bay. The water felt almost like a benediction when she slipped her head below the surface, the shafts of sunlight dappling over her skin. It subdued the growing sense of anxiety within her, her mind stilling in the silence. She kicked her legs to propel herself down to the reef itself, skimming lightly along the coral until she had to emerge for air. Each time she dived she could hold her breath for a little longer, coming up, lungs gasping, before descending again, trying to imprint the beauty of the lagoon on her mind.

She was content to be alone, though it was more because she seemed to have lost any restraint where Dan was concerned, than for wanting any distance from him. He had been so present in her mind, she had barely given thought to what might await her when she finally returned home. The idea that rescue could be imminent brought the thoughts to the forefront of her mind, and the ambivalence she felt astonished her.

When Blair's body finally tired, she floated on her back, letting her body drift with the ripples of the waves, closing her eyes to the brightening sky above. Looking at her life dispassionately, like it belonged to a stranger and she had no investment in it at all.

She had spent so long looking after Chuck's and Eleanor's interests, she had almost forgotten what her own were. And the only future she could foresee, was continuing in it, a thought so oppressive she had to dip her head below again, trying to maintain a sense of calm. It was no use though, Dan's words of rescue had bought forth all the thoughts she had been ignoring and she forced herself to explore them, her relaxed body giving no indication of her racing mind.

She didn't want to be the girl who inherited a fashion label from her mother anymore. When her mother asked her to take over the business, she didn't take it because she wanted it. She took because she wanted to please her mother. It was meant to be the perfect compliment to her, but it didn't matter how successful the business was, all Blair's triumphs would fade and she would always be left wondering what would finally be enough.

What she wanted for herself, Blair didn't know. But it felt close, like it waited in her subconscious and all she needed was the perfect trigger and she'd recall it. It seemed to her that there were two types of people she knew, those who understood exactly what they wanted and how to get it. And those who didn't know and didn't truly care, almost coming across things to keep them occupied by accident. She envied both of them, because she was neither. It was difficult to want the intangible for there was no way of working out to get it.

As she floated, chasing her thoughts, unable to find any comfortable resolution, she felt an unfamiliar hum in the water. It became even more distinct when she lifted her head. It was unmistakeable, there was a helicopter nearby.

Blair's mind stilled as she broke in a freestyle to get to shore as fast as possible. By the time she was struggling her dress over her head, the noise sounded as though it were directly over head, though she couldn't as yet see the aircraft.

The shrubs at the base of the hill had some coverage and Blair found herself beneath them before she had time to think about what she was doing. Feeling breathless and panicked, she looked up the hill to where Dan slept, though she doubted that even he could sleep through the noise. Most of the bushes were too scrubby to offer much cover and she would be clearly visible, so she hunched down further, trying to shrink into the shadows. Paralysed by indecision, unsure whether to go to Dan, or stand on the beach and wave her arms around, or just hide and hope that he was doing the same thing.

His voice broke through her frantic thoughts. "Blair! Where are you?" Blair looked up the hill, she could just see him standing at the top, peering down over the bay, completely exposed to view.

Blair waited until he was looking the other way to stand from where she hid. When he saw her, he ran towards her, words rushing from his lips. "It's a helicopter, it has to be for us."

"I doubt it's here for a scenic tour." She looked up as the helicopter finally appeared above them, there was no way it couldn't have spotted them. They both stood solemnly watching as it made a turn over the bay and came back to the shore, hovering over the beach as it slowly descended.

Dan her her gaze for a long moment, his dark eyes unreadable. "I guess this is it. It's over."

It was difficult to reply and her lips twisted down, not wanting to acknowledge the truth of his words. "I suppose we should go to the beach to meet it."

"Blair, wait." He caught her by the waist before she could move. "I don't know if I'll get a chance to do this again."

Dan's mouth closed over hers in a fierce kiss, but she was more than ready for it. She let her arms twine around his neck, feeling the warm pressure of his long fingers spanning her ribcage, welcoming his searching lips. There was a desperation to both of them, Blair felt like she was trying to inhale him, losing herself to his arms and his frenzied breath.

And then it was over and they were walking across the beach, watching the deafening descent of the chopper blowing the stinging sand up from the beach.

Nate swung from the door when it had landed, his face almost splitting from the beaming smile he directed at them. Blair could barely hear his shout over the noise. "You're alive, I can't believe I actually found you!" He ran toward them enveloping them both in his arms. "I thought you were both dead...and it was my fault...I have never been so happy to see anyone in my life. Thank Christ you're ok."

It was Dan who finally spoke, breaking from the embrace. "How is it that you're the one to find us, Nate? I was almost expecting green berets to come rolling onto the sand."

"We've just been sailing around, trying to find a trace of you. I've been getting all reported distress signals but until this one, nothing seemed likely. I knew we could be here before the coast guard so I borrowed a chopper in Mustique." He shook his head in wonder. "How is it that you're ok? What happened?"

Dan met her eyes before speaking. "Blair slipped on the deck, I went after her and we found ourselves here. The rest is more or less as you see, I guess."

Blair finally found her tongue, stopping Nate from asking further questions. "Is Serena ok?"

"She's fine, she wanted to wait for news of you both but she's so close to term, she had to go back to LA. I'm so sorry it took us so long to find you, but we couldn't even report you missing until the day before yesterday. We lost all power on the yacht and drifted for two days before we got picked up. I didn't think there was any way in the world you could still be alive after all this time. I guess we've been looking for your corpses." Blair shuddered as words continued to rush from his mouth. "I'll get the pilot to radio through that you've been found. Chuck's been going out of his mind with worry about you, Blair."

Her breath caught in her throat, but Nate didn't notice her lack of response. "You both look so well, I can't believe it. Although Dan, would it be possible for you to put some more clothes on? You look positively indecent."

Dan smiled and hitched up his shorts. "I only wish I could, but this is all I have left."

"I'll give you the clothes off my own back, I'm just so delighted to have found you." Nate slipped off his open shirt and passed it to Dan, leaving him in just his tank top. "Why are we waiting here? Let's go. You must be desperate to get back to civilisation. Is there anything you need to grab before we go?"

Dan caught her eye again before answering, but it was too brief for her to be able read anything from it. "No, we can just go, I guess. If any other poor soul ever washes up on this beach, then at least they can use whatever we've left behind."

Blair followed them to the helicopter in bewilderment, feeling a crippling sense of loss, like she was leaving something behind, something dear. But there was nothing to take, any memento would be meaningless.

The helicopter was too loud for much conversation, though Nate tried his best to shout over the noise. Blair let Dan field his probing questions, curling into her chair and closing her eyes as if she were asleep. Eventually she must have actually dozed off, because she awoke dazedly to Dan's hand on her shoulder, his fingers pointing to the helipad they were approaching, unable to comprehend the words on his lips.

A car awaited them to take them to the villas that Nate had rented for his birthday celebration. It only took a few minutes for it to carry them over the winding roads, delivering them to the lush tropical estate they had departed from only six days before. It felt like a lifetime ago, like the woman who had left that day had been truly lost at sea and all that remained was her likeness, staring with trepidation at the smiling concierge.

"Mr Humphrey and Ms Waldorf, I can't tell you how happy I am that you've returned safely to us. The police and some reporters are waiting to talk to you both but I can put them off until you've rested if you would prefer."

Dan shook his head. "It's ok, I can talk to them now."

She nodded at him and then looked to Nate. "Mr Archibald, Mr Bass just arrived an hour ago, shall I call through to let him know you're back?"

"It's fine, he's really just waiting for Blair here. Can you get someone to escort her to him and I'll help Dan talk to the police?"

Blair put her hand to her neck. Every time she thought of Chuck it felt like someone had their fingers around her throat. And she didn't know if it was from anticipation or dread. She only wished she had more time to think, to clear her mind before she had to make a decision that she knew was irrevocable. Dan's expression had become guarded, the smile that had cracked across his face at Nate's overwhelming welcome fading to a mere twist on his lips. "What...what are you going to do, after..." Her words trailed off, unable to express her convoluted thoughts, the swiftness which which they had returned to civilisation leaving her reeling.

"I hardly know. Go and eat that chocolate thick shake and fries, I suppose. And call my dad. And then have a week long bath." The smile returned to his face as he watched her, but it wasn't reflected in his eyes. "Send my regards to Chuck."

She wanted to hug him, bury her head in the harbour of his chest but instead she hovered awkwardly. Dan leaned in, his mouth close to her ear. "Call on me if you need me, Blair. I won't be far away." His lips pressed fleetingly to her cheek.

"I will." The solemn look he gave her as he turned away made her want to go after him, but the expectation in Nate's eyes and the waiting porter made her drop her hand and fall in behind the liveried back of the staff member.

He escorted Blair to a villa overlooking the blue vista of the bay below. She felt disoriented, only two hours before she had been swimming in her own lagoon, in her own thoughts, and now here she was, dishevelled and dirty, wishing desperately to be somewhere else. When they reached the door, she dismissed the porter, gathering her courage to turn the door handle, unsure what she would find on the other side. She wanted to bolt, hide until everyone had left and she could reestablish her life with no other influence. But Waldorf's do not run from confrontation, whatever the outcome. She took a deep breath and pushed open the door to see Chuck sitting in the sofa, his head in his hands and an empty tumbler before him. "Chuck?"

"Blair!" He leaped to his feet, the papers on his knee fluttering to the ground as he came toward her. It stuck her how contrived he was, his almost pompous swagger and drawling voice. He'd clearly been hitting bottle heavily though it only showed in his glassy eyes and on his breath. It took all her poise not to recoil when he snatched at her hand and pulled her to him. She let him hug her, extricating herself with trouble when his grip loosened. "You're finally here, I've been so worried I was never going to see you again. I'm so sorry, I should have been there." He took her hand in his as his other traced up her neck. "You lost your ring. It doesn't matter, I'll get you another and this one's going straight to your finger where it belongs."

Blair didn't know how to respond, despite all her resolutions. All she wanted to do was tear her hands from his, to tell him to stop touching her. The confused tears that had been threatening her throughout the day, all came to the fore at once. Chuck tried to pull her to him again, his hand pressing her head toward her chest but she ducked out of his arms. "Don't."

His arms dropped as confusion crossed his features. "Blair, I'm sorry, I mean it. You need to forgive me. I should have never let you go to Paris alone, I should have come after you. Nearly losing you made me realise I haven't been everything I could be to you and I'm going to change that." She let him embrace her again then, though she kept her arms by her sides. "God, Blair, it's so good to see your face."

When she spoke, it was more to herself than to Chuck. "I should never have come to you. It was already over."

"What do you mean it was over? Of course it's over, you're back with me again. Let's get married immediately. I don't ever want you to leave my side again."

Blair looked up then, pulling away and taking Chuck's hand by the wrist to move it from where it lay at her waist. "But I don't belong there anymore. I'm not sure that I ever did. We had our chance, Chuck, and we blew it. We are over and it's for good this time."

A hint of irritation entered his voice, discernible below the caressing tones. "Blair, you're overwrought, you're not thinking straight. Look, go and have a bath, and then I can take you to lunch. We need to talk. I don't think we've spoken properly for months."

She struck her that they had never really talked, only ever making statements at each other that really had no bearing on their shared life. "Chuck, my thoughts are clearer than they have been for a long time. We don't have anything to talk about, we never did. I'm going to go and ask for another room. You can stay here if you like, but please understand, I'm not going to change my mind. I'm sorry if this hurts you, but I don't want you anymore. I want someone else."

His face froze, a cold sneer growing on his lips. "It's Humphrey isn't it. He did this, poisoning you against me. If you go to him, Blair, you know it's going to be the same. He's not enough for you, he's never going to be enough for you." Chuck tried to take her hands again but she snatched them back. "He could never love you the way I do, Blair, you know that."

She lifted her chin, stepping away to widen the distance between them. "I do know that, I have absolute faith that he will never love me the way you do, Chuck."

"You think he loves you, after four days? You're deluded, Blair, he's just been using you for sex."

"The shoe is quite on the other foot, Chuck. And, I have to tell you, after everything he's been for me over the last five days, I don't know how I can't not love him." She looked instinctively for her purse, realising with bemusement she didn't have one, that she had nothing with her and there was nothing she wanted to take away. "And it doesn't matter if he doesn't love me yet. He will."

It was easier to walk away than she had ever supposed, all she wanted to do was find Dan and tell him that another chapter of her life was closed and she was free. She retraced her steps to the front desk, blind to her surroundings, the one thought resounding through her mind.

The concierge looked surprised to see her. "Good afternoon, Ms Waldorf, I must say I didn't expect to see you so soon. Please let us know how we can smooth your return to civilisation as best we can. Is everything is to your satisfaction?"

"Uh...yes, thank you. Please, can you tell me if Daniel Humphrey is still here?"

"Of course, he just returned to his room after speaking to the police and reporters about your shared ordeal. Can I call him for you?"

"No, that won't be necessary. But can you give me his room number?"

"We don't usually do that, Ms Waldorf, but given the circumstances, we'd be more than happy to escort you to his villa." The concierge smiled once more and called the porter over, requesting that he guide Blair to the garden suite.

It was a fair distance from the main house and Blair felt her nerves rise as she followed the winding path to it. The lush gardens were magnificent in the afternoon light, but it was impossible to appreciate their beauty. The thoughts that crowded into her mind left no room for wonder. She knocked tentatively at the door she was lead to, hearing Dan almost immediately, his voice muffled and distracted. "I'm in the bathroom, the door's unlocked, you can come in. I'll just be a minute."

Blair opened the door. Dan's presence was clear, his clothes discarded on the floor and a notebook already lying open on the bed. She walked over to it and picked it up, hoping to get some insight into his thoughts but the pages were blank. All her surety faded as she stood there. It seemed so simple when she was talking to Chuck, like all she needed to do was find Dan and they could return to their idyll. But the trappings of his world, even just the notebook, made her realise how little she knew of this Dan, what his life was and whether there was a place for her in it.

It had felt as though she could throw himself at his head and he would always catch her, but now she hesitated, almost ready to bolt, thinking that she was presuming to much. Wondering if Chuck was right and that the connection they had found was entirely incidental.

Before she could give into her instincts and leave, the bathroom door opened to reveal Dan, clad just in a towel, water dripping from his hair and down his chest in such a familiar way that, in spite of her inner turmoil, a smile began to quiver on her lips.

He looked astonished. "Blair, you're not room service."

Despite how intimate they had been, shyness overtook her and she found it hard to meet his eyes, every thought rushing to her lips so it seemed she could say nothing meaningful at all. "Sorry...no...I...I just wanted to make sure you were ok and had settled...I'm sorry for interrupting your bath. I can go."

He stared at her for a moment before recovering. "No, stay! You just apologised to me twice in the one sentence, forgive me if I'm a bit confused." His lips quirked and she felt her own curving further in return.

"Appreciate it, Humphrey. It's never going to happen again."

"I do, I am... I just... How's Chuck? You don't...you don't need to tell him what happened between us. It was understandable, I guess, under the circumstances. I won't tell, I promise you." His eyebrows creased as he dropped his head, not meeting her eyes.

"He knows." She walked closer to him, wanting him to raise his head and look at her, but he just fiddled with the towel wrapped around his waist.

"I'm sure he'll forgive you...if not me."

"Chuck was done when I threw my ring overboard. I'm not going back to him. I don't need his forgiveness for anything." She took a breath to try and control the quaver building in her voice, moving closer to him as he looked up. "I...I came to tell you that I hid when I heard the helicopter. I lost my head, I didn't want to leave the island. I still wish we were there." His eyes stilled, fixated on her face. "And when you told me I looked happy, I was, though I didn't really understand why until today. Dan, I've never been more happy."

He smiled then, a buoyant look dawning in his eyes. "Are you actually trying to tell me the key to Blair Waldorf's happiness is to strip her of all her privileges and turn her into a castaway?"

"No, you idiot, I'm saying that you made me happy. You...you made me realise how I want to be loved." Blair took a final step forward and placed her hands flat on his chest, her words faltering under the affection of his gaze. "And I wanted... to ask you if you felt that you could...you could maybe continue to do that."

Dan took her by the shoulders, his thumb caressing the bare skin. "Blair...all you would have had to do any time in the past five years, would be just to come and insult me and I would have been yours." He finally slipped his hands around her then, his arms taking her into a close embrace. "There's always been a piece of me that's still yours."

His hand reached up to trace over her cheek and she leaned against it, closing her eyes to indulge in the sensation of his callused fingertips. They stood for a long moment, Blair feeling the movement of his breath against her hair, not wanting to ever leave the circle of his arms.

Dan eventually pulled back, looking down at her with such elation, she could only meet his eyes with a tremulous smile. "I thought I had found you, only to lose you again. I didn't know how life could be so cruel."

She slipped her hands up his neck, feeling the moisture from his hair trickling over her fingers as they twisted into his curls. "I don't know what I want from my life anymore, Dan, I only know I want you at the centre of it."

Dan's hand moved up to her chin, taking it between his fingers to lower his lips to hers. There was so much sweetness to his kiss, so much promise, that Blair felt like she was almost suffocating from the emotion pulsing in her chest.

The door sounded and he pulled his lips away, regret marking his features at the interruption, his eyes not leaving hers.

"Room service."

"Uh...come in."

A uniformed steward came through the door, pushing a laden trolley. He looked a little bewildered. "Mr Humphrey, I thought you had a party of guests here, there's another trolley on it's way. There must have been a misunderstanding."

Dan chuckled as Blair hid her face back in his chest, enjoying the low grumble reverberating against her. "No, there's been no mistake, please just leave it by the door, I can serve myself."

The man did as he was directed, hovering by the door when he'd finished. "Will that be all, Sir?"

"Yes, and I'm sorry for the lack of tips, but if you can find one Mr Nathaniel Archibald, I'm sure he'll be more than generous."

He withdrew from the room and Blair wound her arms back around Dan's neck, unable to keep herself at any distance from him. "What did you order?"

Dan laughed, dropping another kiss to her upturned face. "The entire menu, pretty much."

"Good. Can I share?"

"You, Blair Waldorf, can share everything I have."

* * *

*** I just wanted to make a note about my character study of Blair. I think the reason I love to write her is because she is such a dichotomy of strength and vulnerability (as anyone who is a Blair fan will understand), everything she does is actually about defence, not attack (whether on her own behalf or for others is immaterial), which is why she can be so prickly. I don't always love her the way I adore Dan (she can be so bloody grating on the nerves - jeez, sometimes just STFU, Blair). I find him much easier to write because he's much more open about his thoughts and he's willing to be vulnerable; he has his own creative confidence and can express his feelings rationally. She on the other hand, gets so tied up in her emotions that she will just act, without any thought to the real consequences of what she is doing.**

**Blair doesn't really know how to express affection or love, or even trust how someone truly feels about her - which is why those damn 3 words, 8 letters are so important to her - she will always question if people really do love her, even telling her so isn't enough. My guess is this is because no one ever really expressed love to her as a child, and in this I mean equal love, mutual love that you can be confident in. The only love she understood had a condition, or was circumstantial, or was secondary to something else. But this isn't the love that she feels because Blair is capable of an all consuming, selfless love. And I always felt Dan was the only one who was really equipped to give this back to her.**

**Anyway, I won't bore you anymore with my hopeless romanticism about fictional characters, but I thought some of you may like to know who the Blair is that I write about, not the shallow, kind of soulless version they gave to us in the end. I hope this Blair comes through to you.**


End file.
